Airline News

The Aviation industry in India encompasses a wide range of services related to air transport such as passenger and cargo airlines, unscheduled service operators --- private jets and helicopters, airport management, and support services like Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO), ground handling, in-flight catering, and training.

The Aviation sector has reaped massive benefit from the entry of private carriers, especially from those of the low fare ones. The growth of the airlines sector has caused a sharp upturn in demand for allied services including MRO, ground handling, and catering services. The booming aviation industry, along with its tertiary services, has wreaked a major talent crunch, boosting opportunities for training service providers. The ever-expanding Indian economy and increased demand for trade has pushed the need for air cargo services to a new high. Increasing number of entrants in the sector has forced airports to expand their cargo handling capacities.

The aviation sector is still a small part of the travel and transportation services sector in India. 2006-07 posted annual passenger traffic of about 96 million, as compared to nearly 6 billion passengers carried by the railways. The industry has already bumped into several challenges; inadequate infrastructure being the most crucial. The airlines suffered losses of around USD 500 million in 2006-07 and the situation is expected to deteriorate in 2007-08. The high cost of operations, intense competition, and unsustainably low fares have contributed to these losses. While initiatives have been taken to remove bottlenecks to growth, a need for further investments in capacity is felt more than ever. A recent spate of mergers, however, has come to some relief.

The decelerating profit margin does not entail a slump in revenue generation. It is the increasing costs that have thrown the aviation industry into the present plight. India’s aviation sector stands up to the crisis and races against its fastest growing global competitors. Improved affordability and connectivity add to the expected improvement in both passengers and cargo traffic. Large public and private investments in air travel infrastructure, supported by government initiatives, are expected to pour in.

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www.Parctel.com: With reference to the dramatic plane crash that took place at Heathrow Airport on the 17th January 2008, in which luckily no-one was killed, the jokers have been hard at work and sending out spoof images of the 'real' reason for the crash by BA 777.

Preliminary investigations pointed to an electrical fault resulting in engine failure.

Here is just one of the spoof images doing the rounds:

Is this really the real reason for the BA 777 crash?

Reports on: Daily Mail
CNN

www.Parctel.com: AirTran Airways offers the following list of travel tips and guidelines as a service to holiday travelers:

1. Wrap Up the Packing Before Wrapping Presents - Wrapped gifts might have to be unwrapped during security screenings. Consider shipping gifts ahead of time. Do not carry wrapped gifts you have received from others.



2. Don't Let Your Valuables Become Someone Else's Stocking Stuffers - Place your medicine, jewelry, cameras, and other valuables in your carry-on baggage.



3. Remember to Leave Time for the Airport "Holidaze" - During the busy holidays, anticipate possible slowdowns caused by heavy traffic, crowded airport parking lots and busy ticket counters and security checkpoints. AirTran Airways recommends passengers arrive at the airport a minimum of 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure.



4. The Sleigh Can Only Hold So Much - On the aircraft, you are allowed one carry-on bag and one personal item. A personal item is defined as a purse, briefcase, diaper bag or laptop computer bag. Per FAA regulations, both the carry-on bag and the personal item must fit underneath the seat in front of you or in the EasyFit overhead bins.



5. Santa Can Find You, but the Airport Needs Your Help - A baggage tag with your name, home address and telephone number must be placed on the outside of your bag. It is also a good idea to put your home address, telephone number, destination address and telephone number inside your bag.



6. The New Year's Clock is Ticking - Baggage may be checked at the airport no more than four hours prior to departure time and no fewer than 30 minutes prior to departure at most cities. For individual airport times, please check our Contract of Carriage on http://www.airtran.com/.



7. More Convenient Than Travel by Reindeer - Check in for your flights up to 24 hours prior to departure with our Online Flight Check-In on http://www.airtran.com/. You will be able to select your seat assignment, print your boarding passes, and print a receipt from your computer.



8. Three is the Magic Number - Per the TSA's recent guidelines, travelers can now bring liquids, gels and aerosols into their carry-on luggage. The items must be stored in containers no larger than three ounces and must be housed in a single, quart-sized zip-top, clear plastic bag.



9. Nothing Should be Roasting by an Open Fire - All lighters and matches are prohibited in carry-on items. However, lighters without fuel are allowed in checked baggage and lighters with fuel are only allowed in checked baggage if they meet guidelines set forth by the Department of Transportation. As a rule of thumb, AirTran Airways recommends leaving the lighters at home.



10. Leave the Carving Knives at Home - Security requirements prohibit passengers from taking certain items in their carry-on bags, which include: knives of any length, cutting instruments (any kind) including carpet knives, box cutters and folding or retractable blades regardless of blade length or composition. Straight razors are prohibited but disposable razors, e.g. Bic, are allowed.



11. Unlock the Holiday Cheer - The TSA recommends that you leave your baggage unlocked as it may be inspected during the security screening process.



12. From Holiday Bells to Elf Shoes - All Subject to X-Ray - At the screening checkpoint, be prepared to take your shoes off, empty your pockets of all metal and remove laptops from your carry-on baggage.



13. You Aren't as Recognizable as Santa - Bring Your ID - AirTran Airways' security procedures require that all travelers 18 years of age and older show a government-issued photo ID, such as a valid driver's license, a passport or military ID. If you do not have one of the above, you may show two forms of non-photo ID, at least one of which must be issued by a local, state or federal government agency such as the following: birth certificate, Medicare card, voter registration card, Social Security card. Ensure that the name on your itinerary matches the name on your identification.



14. Get Milk to Wash Down Your Holiday Cookies After the Security Line - The TSA has eased its ban on beverages. Travelers are now allowed to bring thirst-quenchers onto an airplane, but only if they are purchased at the airport past the security checkpoint.



15. Peace of Mind: The Airport's Gift to You - Only ticketed passengers may proceed past the security screening checkpoint. Due to heightened security measures, passengers may experience the following: Increased number of uniformed law enforcement and security personnel; Reduced access points to secured areas at airports; Towing of unattended vehicles near the terminals; Heightened awareness of unattended bags; Requests for ID and receipt/itinerary for travel; Prohibition on the sale of knifelike items.

www.Parctel.com: More than 50 volunteer staff from oneworld member airlines and the alliance's central team are due to land in South Africa today on what is believed to be the first mission of its kind carried out by any of the global airline alliances anywhere worldwide.

They will be spending the week to work with a range of projects with charities in the Johannesburg area in a programme they are calling "oneworld against poverty".

The assignment is being spearheaded by the Qantas Cabin Crew Team, an organisation led by flight attendants at the Australian airline which supports charities around the worldwide network served by the carrier. Around 35 of its members will be taking part in this week's operation, led by the team's President Glenn Price.

While this Qantas group has been helping the Johannesburg projects in various ways for several years, this will be the first time they have been joined by colleagues from other part of the oneworld alliance.

Working alongside them this week will be some 25 representatives from Airline Ambassadors, a counterpart association at American Airlines, led by William Dise, its Regional Director and a crew chief at American, along with others from across the alliance including its central team at the oneworld Management Company.

The overall team includes representatives from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, the UK and the USA.

While they will be personally delivering the proceeds of fund-raising they have been carrying out for much of the past year, their biggest donations will be in the form of "muscle-power". Qantas is supporting the exercise by providing ground transport, flying in 1 tonne of donated items and providing some logistical support.

The volunteers are taking the time for the trip from their annual vacation allowances, away from their regular duties at their respective airlines. They will be joined by 16 Qantas cabin crew and eight of the airline's pilots spending a couple of days in the city between flights from and to Australia.

The team is drawn from across the air transport career ladder - from flight attendants and pilots to managers. They are united in a desire to help those less privileged than themselves.

While in Johannesburg, they will focus their attention on three projects, working with:

* Nkosi's Haven, a centre for women, babies, children and young people suffering from HIV, where they will help renovate 16 cottages and a cricket pitch and basketball court. Founded by Gail Johnson in April 1999 and named in honour of her 12 year old foster son and in memory of his biological mother who was unable to look after him, Nkosi’s Haven was officially opened on 14th April 1999. Infected with HIV from birth, Nkosi passed away on 1 June 2001 from an AIDS related disease. His legacy lives on.
* MES (Methodist Evangelical Services) New Haven for Life, which provides a home for street kids who are starting to go to school, where they will renovate the building and courtyard and install 50 beds, costing US$7,000, purchased through their fund-raising.
* FLOC (For the Love of Children), an inner city pre-school where 40 places are sponsored by the Qantas Cabin Crew Team. The volunteers will give all the children at the school an educational day out and party.

www.Parctel.com: Revenues from oneworld alliance fares and sales activities rose by more than 10 per cent year-on-year to almost US$675 million in 2006, helping its partners maintain their record as the most financially sound grouping of airlines.

The seven established member airlines sharing those alliance revenues - American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Finnair, Iberia, LAN and Qantas - classified almost two-thirds of that US$675 million total as "incremental" revenue, or money they would not have earned had it not been for oneworld.

These revenues are expected to be given a substantial boost in 2007 with the addition to the alliance of Japan Airlines and its associates, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Royal Jordanian and affiliates LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador from 1 April, followed by Dragonair later this year.

oneworld sales to the corporate sector were particularly strong in 2006, with revenues from corporate accounts increasing by almost two-thirds.

businessflyer, the alliance's product for small and medium sized accounts in key target markets, generated more than twice as much revenue as in 2005. More than 5,500 businesses are now signed up in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and now also Belgium - almost 40 per cent more than a year ago, spurred in part by the alliance's first external advertising in five years.

Yields from oneworld sales overall remained strong, with almost three-quarters of its alliance fares sold for travel in its member airlines' premium cabins.

Some 8 million passengers transferred between the established oneworld member airlines' flights in 2006, one in every 30 customers they boarded throughout the year.

Revenues generated by this "interlining" activity within the alliance rose almost 5 per cent to some US$2 billion, including benefits from alliance fares and sales products. That represents almost 3.5 per cent of the established member airlines' total passenger revenues.

oneworld Managing Partner John McCulloch said: "In a business where operating margins are generally thin and at a time when fuel prices have reached record highs, revenues from oneworld represent an increasingly important contribution to our member airlines' financial standings - and we are committed to increasing the contribution the alliance makes.

"Key factors behind this rise in revenues are the quality of the service oneworld and its member airlines provide, our unparalleled international route network and our unmatched range of alliance fares and sales products. We expect April's addition of our new recruits, followed by Dragonair later this year, to give these revenues a significant further lift."

While continuing to build revenues for its member airlines, the alliance also maintained its focus on supporting their efforts to reduce costs. Savings from its joint procurement activities now total almost US$300 million, with the bulk of 2006's benefits coming from initiatives in the Engineering and Maintenance arena.

These efforts helped oneworld maintain its position as the most profitable airline grouping. Based on the latest full year results from all established members of all alliances, its established members collectively achieved an operating margin of 5.7 per cent - against 3.4 for Star and 3.1 for SkyTeam. At the net level, the profit margin for oneworld's members collectively was 3.4 per cent, against 2.8 per cent for Star and a negative 8.3 per cent for SkyTeam.

The combined net profits for oneworld's seven established carriers in their latest full years totalled more than US$2.3 billion, excluding one-off extraordinary items. On the same basis - ignoring asset sales and bankruptcy restructuring charges - the 17 member airlines of Star totalled US$2.2 billion and SkyTeam's 10 carriers US$1.1 billion.

Over the past three years, the combined net profits of oneworld member airlines has totalled US$5.4 billion, while SkyTeam members have lost US$18.6 billion between them and Star's partners have reported collective losses of US$20.8 billion. oneworld remains the only alliance without a member having to resort to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

www.parking-stansted-airport.com: Came across this advert on Enoughs Enough and had to share it with you:

Enoughs Enough Greenpeace Advert in response to BA's inaugural flight from London to Newquay.

Makes one wonder what will happen to the Stansted Airport Parking lots if no planes fly anymore?

www.Parctel.com: Finnair links Nuremberg to network as oneworld's tenth German gateway: Nuremberg has joined the oneworld® network, as the tenth destination in Germany served by the alliance, with Finnair flying there daily from and to its Helsinki home, using Embraer regional jets. With the three-letter IATA code NUE, Nuremberg is at the centre of northern Bavaria, with some five million people live in its catchment area.

American to open two new Caribbean routes from New York: American Airlines, already the leading airline between New York and the Caribbean, is adding a further two new routes to the islands from JFK. It will serve St Kitts and Nevis from 18 November with two Boeing 757s a week, and St Lucia from November with an initial three Boeing 757s a week. Elsewhere, it connect Austin with John Wayne airport at Santa Ana, in California's Orange County from 5 September with daily Boeing MD80s westbound and 737-800s eastbound.

Iberia launches Madrid-Boston and heads for Washington and St Petersburg: Iberia has launched its new Madrid-Boston route, with an initial five Airbus A340s a week. It joins American Airlines and British Airways in serving the New England gateway. Next month, oneworld's Spanish partner adds Washington DC to its network too, while it Europe it will open services to St Petersburg from 2 June, with two Airbus A319s a week from and to its Madrid hub.

Royal Jordanian resumes Montreal route: Royal Jordanian, which joined oneworld on 1 April, resumes non-stops between its Amman home base and Montreal from 25 May, with twice-weekly two-class Airbus A340s, offering its Crown Class flat beds. The airline last served the Canadian city ten years ago.

BA gains fourth 'Airline of the Year' title: British Airways has gained its fourth Airline of the Year title, with the latest accolade from the OAG airline information group. BA was already the current holder of top airline title from the SkyTrax airline quality organization, the World Travel Awards and Global Traveler magazine. In the OAG awards, BA was also named Best Transatlantic Airline, Best Europe-Asia/Australasia and Best in Western Europe, while oneworld partners Cathay Pacific was judged Best Transpacific and Qantas was Best in Australasia/Pacific.

American to up-grade passenger cabins across its 757 fleet: American Airlines is to upgrade the passenger cabins of its entire fleet of 124 Boeing 757s. The improvements, to be made from next year, will include new seats, new cabin interiors and updated in-flight entertainment systems. First Class will be expanded by two more seats, giving a total of 24 on each aircraft. The airline has already announced plans for enhancements to its 777s, 767-300s and 767-200s.

JAL to triple size of lounges at its main Tokyo Narita international hub: Japan Airlines' expanded and refurbished lounges at its Tokyo Narita Terminal 2 main international hub will be opened in mid July, providing more spacious, comfortable environments and improved services. The airline says their new designs would provide "a high quality space for the ultimate in relaxation", with the size of the rooms tripled to offer seating for up to 700 people.

BA and Qantas open new First Class lounge at Bangkok: British Airways and Qantas have opened their new joint First Class lounge at Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi airport. The two airlines opened in March their new Business Class lounge at the gateway. The new BA/QF First Class lounge is 40 per cent bigger than the facility it replaces at Bangkok's old Don Muang airport.

Malév moves New York JFK operations to American Airlines' terminal: Malév Hungarian Airlines has transferred its New York JFK operations into American Airlines' Terminal 9, smoothing connections between the two carriers at the hub. oneworld partner Finnair also uses the same terminal. The British Airways terminal is right next door, used by alliance members Cathay Pacific, Iberia and Qantas besides BA.

Madrid Metro now extended to oneworld operational base Terminal 4: Madrid's Metro has now been extended to the new Terminal 4 at the city's airport, where all oneworld member airlines are based. The facility is now served, like the other airport terminals, by trains on Line 8, running to and from the city centre Nuevos Ministerios station. Previously, passengers had to connect by bus between Terminal 4 and the Metro station at Terminal 2.

www.Parctel.com: JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq:JBLU) announces the appointment of Dave Barger to the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. In addition, Mr. Barger retains his responsibilities as President. David Neeleman, JetBlue's founder and Chief Executive Officer since 1998, will serve JetBlue as non-executive Chairman of the Board.

"This is a natural evolution of our leadership structure as JetBlue continues to grow," Mr. Neeleman said. "As Chairman of the Board of Directors, I will focus on developing JetBlue's long-term vision and strategy, and how we can continue to be a preferred product in a commodity business."

"I am honored to serve JetBlue in this capacity, and I thank David for his leadership," Mr. Barger said. "The strength of JetBlue has always been our crewmembers. We believe that when we take care of our people, and make sure they have the right tools and resources, customers will choose us first every time. I look forward to a very bright future for our crewmembers, our customers and our shareholders."

Mr. Neeleman founded JetBlue as Chief Executive Officer in 1998 and became Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2002. Mr. Barger joined JetBlue in August 1998 as President and Chief Operating Officer. The airline first took to the skies in February 2000. Since then, the low-fare airline based in New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport has grown to 52 destinations with more than 575 daily flights.

New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers the most legroom throughout coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines). JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 52 cities with up to 575 daily flights. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.

JetBlue's 36 channels of DIRECTV(r) service is not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable, FOX InFlight(tm) is offered complimentary on these routes. FOX InFlight(tm) is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. JetBlue's in-flight entertainment is powered by LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue.

www.Parctel.com: Seasonal first half loss significantly reduced

* Winter margin improved by 4 percentage points to -2.4% from -6.4%.
* Loss before tax, reflecting seasonality of business, down 58% to £17m from £40m.
* Total revenue grew by 14% to £719 million.
* Return on equity for the rolling twelve month period increased to 11.9%, up over 6 percentage points from 5.6% in March 2006.
* Full year guidance maintained: pre-tax profit for the year to September 2007 expected to be 40% to 50% higher than record profits in 2006.
* Passenger numbers up 11% to 16.4 million.
* Unit passenger revenues increased by 0.8% or £0.26 per seat to £31.70 per seat.
* Ancillary revenues improved by 18% or £0.58 per seat to £3.81 per seat with partner revenues from insurance and car hire driving the growth.
* Unit costs excluding fuel reduced by 2.1% or £0.57 per seat from £27.75 to £27.18.
* 16 new routes launched. Network now covers 292 routes and 75 airports in 20 countries.
* Madrid base launched with 4 new Airbus A319s in February 2007. 9 new routes launched doubling the number of routes serving Madrid to 18 including Spanish domestic routes and routes to the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Morocco.
* easyJet’s fleet reinforced as one of the most modern and environmentally friendly fleets in Europe. Average age of fleet only 2.3 years following delivery of 10 new Airbus A319s during the period.

Commenting on the results, Andy Harrison, easyJet Chief Executive said:

"The first half of our financial year has seen growth in all areas. Our winning combination of low cost with care and convenience on a network now covering 75 airports in 20 countries on nearly 300 routes continues to attract new customers. In the six months to March 2007, we flew over 16 million passengers, up 11%.

“Our interim results show continued improvements with our margin rising by 4.0 percentage points from minus 6.4% to minus 2.4%. We have grown our total revenue per seat by 84 pence per seat and reduced our costs excluding fuel by 57 pence per seat, allowing us to more than halve our seasonal loss from £40m to £17m.

“We continue to introduce new Airbus aircraft into our fleet, thereby maintaining one of Europe’s cleanest and greenest aircraft fleets, and in April we collected our 100th Airbus A319. Through our investment in modern fuel efficient aircraft we have reduced our emissions of CO2 per passenger kilometre by 18% since 2000.

“Looking forward, our growth measured in available seats will accelerate during the summer months leading to approximately 15% growth for the full year to September 2007. As we stated last winter, we continue to see pressure on yields in the summer against high comparatives from last year and due to continued competition. Low fares underpin our growth and in the second half we have reduced many of our lead-in fares and increased our promotional activity to sustain high load factors in weaker market conditions. Our low fares are supported by maintaining focus on ancillary revenues and our cost base. We anticipate further progress on unit cost reductions, excluding fuel, in the second half and for the full year we anticipate unit fuel costs to be slightly down year on year. Our guidance remains unchanged, for the full year to September 2007 we expect pre-tax profit growth of 40% to 50%.”

www.Parctel.com: Qantas First class customers will be treated to a range of luxuries from chair-side waiter service to complimentary spa treatments when the airline's new First lounges in Sydney and Melbourne open later this month.

The new flagship lounges, which open on 23 May, have been designed by internationally renowned Australian industrial designer Marc Newson.

Qantas Executive General Manager John Borghetti has described them as "simply the best in the world".

"The services offered in our new lounges will be equal to those found in the world's best five star hotels and restaurants. For example a full concierge service will help customers book a restaurant in any city around the world or get tickets to the latest Broadway musical," Mr Borghetti said.

"Nearly everything has been designed by Marc specifically for the lounges and manufactured by leading international craftsman.

"Even the music has been specially created to complement the atmosphere and function of each area of the lounge."

Features of the Sydney lounge include:

* huge American oak sculptures that separate the lounge space into defined areas;
* a Payot Paris day spa offering a range of complimentary treatments from a 30-minute express energising facial to a 50-minute full body massage;
* a 48-seat open kitchen restaurant with menus by Neil Perry;
* chair-side waiter service throughout the lounge;
* a library stocked with a selection of newspapers and magazines, best-selling books and board games including chess and backgammon;
* a dedicated entertainment zone with banks of plasma screens showing local and international news, sport and weather, and Sony Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable entertainment systems offering a selection of games and movies;
* a vertical garden designed by international botanist Patrick Blanc featuring over 8,400 individual plants;
* luxurious individual marble-lined shower suites with individual stereo volume and lighting controls, radiant heating to reduce condensation on the mirrors, and luggage racks;
* exclusive furniture and luxurious finishes including leather lounge chairs, recliners, and sofas by Italy's Poltrona Frau, dining chairs and tables by Cappellini, Tai Ping wool carpets from Hong Kong, marble from Carrara and quartzite from Switzerland; and
* state-of-the-art business facilities with 11 PC workstations, complimentary wireless internet access, power and data points throughout the lounge and two private work suites with conference facilities and plasma display screens.

"Lounges are an important point of differentiation for long haul international travellers, which is why we have drawn on the knowledge of world leading experts and brands to deliver the most luxurious atmosphere for our customers.

"The lounges will be managed by luxury hotel group Sofitel with all staff undergoing specialist training through its Acadamie Accor hotel school.

"At the same time we are launching a new premium check-in service at Sydney and Melbourne international terminals, with First customers checked in prior to arriving at the airport and greeted at the kerb by a Qantas First Host and porter," Mr Borghetti said.

"These initiatives are part of a progressive luxury product upgrade being rolled out in anticipation of the airline's Airbus A380 fleet being delivered from 2008."

The First Lounge is located on level four of the Sydney International Terminal and was designed to comply with both Flying Star Feng Shui and classic Feng Shui elements.

www.Parctel.com: Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline today, (Thursday, 10th May 2007) announces eight new routes from Dusseldorf to Fuerteventura, Malaga, Marrakesh, Milan, Seville, Trapani (Sicily), Valencia and Vaxjo (Sweden). The new routes go on sale today and start in September, when Ryanair will base two further Boeing 737-800 aircraft in Dusseldorf, bringing its total investment there to $280m.

Ryanair also launched its European price Guarantee. If passengers find a cheaper fare on the same route with any other airline, they will be entitled to double the difference between the two fares. Nobody beats Ryanair's low fares - GUARANTEED.

Announcing this route expansion and Ryanair's Price Guarantee, Ryanair's CEO Michael O'Leary said:

“Ryanair's Dusseldorf Weeze base starts in just one month's time and our low fares have been selling so well that we are already announcing 8 new routes. This expansion will deliver 2m passengers p.a. at Dusseldorf by 2008, creating 2,000 jobs and a visitor spend of €200m in the Niederrhein region.

“To celebrate, we are launching our biggest ever seat sale with 10 million seats across Europe from just €10. If you find a cheaper fare with any other airline we will give you double the difference. We urge all passengers to log onto www.ryanair.com immediately for the lowest fares in Europe – GUARANTEED”.

www.Parctel.com: For the week 30 April to 06 May 2007, 93% of all Monarch's scheduled flights departed on time and 99% departed within an hour of scheduled departure time.

www.Parctel.com: As of this morning, 121 remains have been recovered from the site. The authorities may take some time to confirm, if possible, how many passengers the remains represent.

So far, we have relayed the news to the next of kin of 101 families. We have not managed to relay this news to the next of kin of 13 passengers, who we have been unable to contact. We have forwarded this information to the Government of Kenya’s Chief of Protocol to relay this information to the respective Embassies and High Commissions.

80 approvals for travel to Douala have been processed to date. 12 family members will be leaving for Douala on this evening’s flight at 19:00 hours. This is in addition to the Cameroonian families already in Douala.

The Cameroonian Government has granted approval for the next of kin to visit the site over the next 2 or 3 days. Family members in Douala have been informed of the situation on site and the condition of the remains. The families are being prepared both physically and emotionally for the visit.

The team on ground will be briefing family members twice a day, at 10 am and at 6pm.

The identification process will be lengthy and complicated and is likely to take a considerable length of time. We are advised that whilst the mortuary facilities are adequate for the purposes of identification and repatriation.

www.Parctel.com: Men looking for racy weekends rate Rome as the ripest route for romantic romps.

New research, commissioned by British Airways, shows that one in four men would treat another lover to a break in the city famed for renaissance romance when having an affair.

The results show that when it comes to impressing a loved one, married or otherwise, Italy is by far and away the best destination. The home of 'amore' has overtaken France for both men and women as the most romantic European country and the favoured location for a first date.

It would seem that girls have some catching up to do in the love stakes, with guys doing more to dispel the myth that romance is dead.

The research shows that twice as many men as women have treated their loved ones to surprise romantic holidays.

And single females who have just met a man have a special reason for anticipation - nearly one in ten guys holiday abroad with their new love within the first month of a relationship.

Dean Yardley, British Airways' general manager of shorthaul, said: "Clearly, romance isn't dead. And with the pound at its strongest in 25 years, 60 per cent of the population and 70 per cent of 25-34 year olds, are now taking up to three European trips every year.

"With fares to European destinations starting from as little as £34* one-way on ba.com, the world is definitely getting smaller. Here at British Airways we have seen a real increase in the numbers of couples jetting away for that all important romantic break. So get clicking and grab a bargain!""

The research shows another strong motivator for the modern male traveller - shopping. Despite perceptions that shopping is for women, more men travel abroad to go shopping than to watch sport or to go on stag 'do's', with shopping equalling lads' weekends as a reason for men to travel to Europe.

Strengthened by the current value of the pound, shopping is now seen as one of the top five reasons for travelling abroad.

Umberto Paolucci, President of the Italian Tourist Board, said: "More and more British travellers are choosing Italy as a holiday destination for various reasons: ease of travel to the country, the extraordinary combination of artistic and natural beauty, and the unique Italian lifestyle and charm.

"Thus it is not surprising that Italy is a favourite destination for a romantic holiday. Our London office informs us that it is becoming a very popular choice for celebration of weddings in unforgettable style. Italy is a wonderful set where you can live the best movie of your life."

Tours of Rome

www.Parctel.com: If you love Paris in the springtime, chances are good you’ll love it in the summer as well. And that goes for London, Zurich, Brussels and Frankfurt, too. American has put each of these great European destinations on sale for travel from late May through early September.

American is having a summer sale from select cities in the United States to some of Europe’s favorite spots. Thought it was too late to get a great fare for travel this summer and stand atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris, go see the latest shows in London, view the breathtaking Alps near Zurich, taste some exquisite chocolate in Brussels, or take a Rhine River cruise near Frankfurt? Think again, and then contact American Airlines.

With American’s great fares to Europe, everything is possible and affordable. Go see Europe this summer on American Airlines, a founding member of the global oneworld® Alliance. There’s really nothing stopping you now.

Paris Tours