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Qantas has launched its low-cost Singapore carrier, Jetstar Asia, which is
expected to begin operations by the end of this year to destinations within five
hours of Singapore.
Schedules and routes will be announced in coming weeks after the airline has secured an airline operator's certificate and
traffic rights.
"The new Jetstar Asia brand is indicative of our fresh and vibrant approach toward low-cost travel in the region," comments
Geoff Dixon, Chief Executive Officer of Qantas. "We're building a new Asian airline which will feature a brand-new fleet, Asian hospitality and the operational excellence
for which Qantas is famous to create a new, natural and friendly on-board culture." The crew uniform is to reflect the fusion of Asian tradition and contemporary design.
Meanwhile, plans for rival budget carrier Valuair, also based in Singapore, to begin flying to Perth in December, are currently being implemented.
According to a media statement, the airline already has approval from Singapore and has submitted an application to
Australia's aviation authorities.
Valuair claims to be the first budget carrier to begin operating from Singapore, and it already flies to Bangkok, Jakarta and
Hong Kong.
�Although fares have yet to be set for flights to Perth, Valuair is aiming to continue its policy of being 40% cheaper than
the major airlines,� comments Nilesh Pritam, Valuair Spokesman.
According to the South China Morning Post, Virgin Blue, may launch a new airline that will be based in Macau, the former Portuguese colony on the southern coast of China.
Virgin Blue spokesman, David Huttner, has been cited as saying that the airline is looking at an Asian venture.
The report states that Virgin Blue is hoping to take advantage of the emerging Chinese air travel market. This it claims is because Southeast Asia is expected to be the latest battleground for budget airlines.
Iraq's national airline resumed international flights last month, 14-years after
being forced to halt operations by war and international sanctions.
An Iraqi Airways Boeing 737 jet - the only aircraft available to the airline -
flew from Amman in Jordan to Baghdad before flying on to Damascus in
neighbouring Syria. The company plans to expand operations and begin daily
flights to Damascus.
An airline official called Saturday's flight a "first step." It did not
feature on the departures board at Amman airport, the check-in desk denied all
knowledge of it, and even the control tower did not know about it until shortly
before take-off, he said.
Qantas Frequent Flyers will no longer have the option of choosing to receive
paper Award flight tickets. From 20 September 2004, paper Award tickets
will only be available where e-ticketing is not an option.
Chief Executive of British Airways, Rod Eddington, has revealed that the airline
had retired its Concorde fleet because it feared the aircraft were a target for
terrorists or �flying twin towers'.
He said the twice-daily service to New York was on average three-quarters full
before the Paris air crash in 2000, but this dropped to about 20% a few years
later. Mr Eddington said a major reason for its change in fortunes was the
threat of terrorism following the September 11 attacks in the US. "Many
regular customers regarded it as a flying twin towers. It�s an obvious
target, with Concorde being full of bankers, lawyers and rock stars," he said.
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