e-Newsletter January 2006
LSG Sky Chefs has appointed Alfred Rigler, one of the company's most experienced executives, as regional COO Latin America. The region includes Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, comprising 48 units in 22 different countries. Most of the administration is based in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Alfred joined LSG Sky Chefs in 1995 with Lufthansa's decision to transfer its inflight service department, where he had been employed since 1990. He has been leading the department since 1998 and was appointed managing director of the newly founded In-Flight Management Solutions GmbH in 2004.
Qantas this month commenced non-stop services from Sydney to Beijing. Qantas Executive general manager John Borghetti said Qantas would initially operate three flights a week to Beijing and expected to offer daily flights to both Beijing and Shanghai within two years. The total travel market between Australia and China has grown by 22 per cent in the past year. The airline's new two-class Airbus A330-300s will operate all flights. Service will include a choice of western-style meals or Northern Chinese cuisine and refreshments, and English- and Mandarin-speaking Australian and Chinese cabin crew.
Brian Pearce, chief economist for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), expects fuel to remain the industry's Achilles heel this year. "We are looking for only a very gradual decline in oil prices this year," Mr Pearce told journalists at IATA's global press briefing in Geneva. "We have seen two years of very strong revenue growth, but that is starting to slow. The industry is certainly past its peak."
Cobanpinar Waters company has been producing and selling drinking water for over 50 years. The company produces 125ml, 180m, 250ml and 300ml servings in thermoformed PET cups according to HACCP and ISO9001 standards. Besides the domestic operations of the company, there are also export sales to different parts of the world, mainly to Germany and Israel. And with the focus on health in drinking water, we are ready to fulfill the requirements of your company from any part of the world. Tel 0090 212 3222151 fax 0090 212 3222150
From 23rd January, Lufthansa passengers will be able to receive four live television channels on board directly on their laptops. Depending on the region of the world, BBC World, CNBC, euro news or MSNBC can be picked up via satellite. This is being made possible by Lufthansa FlyNet with its high-speed Internet provided by its partner and service-provider Connexion by Boeing. With an annual total of 51.3 million passengers, 653,980 operated flights and a passenger load factor of 75.0 per cent, the Lufthansa Group achieved three new records in 2005. Targeted capacity expansion and successful sales management delivered growth and boosted passenger load factor in all traffic regions, says Lufthansa.
Singapore may double the capacity of its S$45 million terminal for budget airlines, Asia's first such terminal, due to open on March 26. It may boost capacity of the terminal to as much as five million pax a year if it attracts more low-cost airlines, Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said. Asian budget carriers currently account for 10 per cent of total flights at Changi airport. Low-fare airlines in Asia Pacific had about 5 per cent of the market in 2004 and that may increase to 15 per cent in 2014, according to analysts. Malaysia's new terminal for discount airlines at Kuala Lumpur International Airport is expected to be ready next month.
A Shanghai-based company plans to set up luxury express railway lines to Tibet's Himalayan capital, Lhasa. The trains, equipped with king-sized beds, butler service and oxygen canisters to combat effects of the high altitude, would run from major cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Wei Yumei, director of the publicity department of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, said the trains are to run along a recently completed high-altitude route between Xining, in western China's Qinghai province, and Lhasa.
Virgin Atlantic has confirmed Monday 27 March as the introduction date for an initial four times a week service from Heathrow to Dubai. The airline will operate a three class Airbus A340-300 with a flight time of 7 hours 10 minutes.
Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, the start-up budget carrier, has won licences to operate a number of European and United States routes from Hong Kong, despite objections from Cathay Pacific. Gatwick is the proposed UK destination. The airline is also targeting Milan, Berlin, Cologne/Bonn and Oakland San Francisco Bay.
Grand China Airlines will be the new name of Hainan Airlines, China’s fourth largest airline group, the first to be stock market-listed and also the first to attract foreign investment. American Aviation, controlled by George Soros, has a 15 per cent interest. The airline is the world’s largest operator of the Dornier 328 and also operates both Airbus 319s and Boeing 737-800s, mainly on domestic services.
Airbus just outsold Boeing in terms of aircraft orders for 2005, receiving 1,055 new orders last year compared with Boeing's 1,002. Airbus also delivered 378 planes in 2005, compared with Boeing's 290. Boeing announced its 2005 figures earlier this month. Both companies enjoyed a record 2005, but last year was the fifth successive year that Airbus outsold Boeing in terms of orders, and the third year running that it has led in deliveries.
