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Jim Mason · Guest

AIR & BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS

A WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY PO Box 1315, Potters Bar, Herts
EN6 1PU, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1707 665454
All enquiries: info (AT) abtn (DOT) co.uk

In conjunction with The Times business travel on line
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/businesstravel

26 JUNE 2006

BREAKING NEWS is a rumour going the rounds last Friday afternoon that the
Airbus A 380 will not appear at Farnborough, something Toulouse failed to
deny. ?No comment,? they say. On 13 June Airbus officially announced a
review of the A380 programme noting that the delivery schedule would
undergo a shift of six to seven months due to production ramp-up issues. To
date five of the 15 aircraft assembled have actually flown, all Rolls-Royce
powered. Airbus only plans to deliver nine aircraft next year. By taking a
?plane to Farnborough for the complete show Airbus will lose up to a
fortnight?s development time, critical at present. The French holidays loom
which will further affect certification. If the A380 does not make the show
an over fly or touch and go might happen. Or just an appearance on the
Monday (17
July) press day which will disappoint millions. As far as Farnborough?s
organisers are concerned it is all go for the A380.
http://www.airbus.com http://www.farnborough.com (P) = website image

MORE BREAKING NEWS for a Monday morning (and the date was notified weeks
ago) is news from Virgin Atlantic of pre-tax, pre-exceptional profits more
than doubled to £41.6m. The airline, 49% owned by Singapore International
Airlines, says that the launch of the new Upper Class Suite helped to
attract more premium-paying passengers, with a 10.1% increase in business
travellers compared with the year before. In 2007 the airline will begin to
fly to Mauritius. And if you are a passengers on Virgin in the immediate
future you will see happy staff faces too. They are to receive a bonus
equivalent to two weeks extra pay. http://www.virgin-atlantic.com

AIR TURQUOISE ? moving home
BANGKOK ? airport update
BLACK FOREST AIRPORT ? theme park arrivals BUSINESS MISCELLANY ? amazing
publication CYPRUS AIRWAYS ? subsidiary goes EASYJET ? chasing BA ISRAEL ?
new airport?
ITALY ? broadside from Britain
JET AIRWAYS ? takeover thwarted
MANCHESTER ? new hotel nearly ready
MAXJET ? going along nicely
MONARCH SCHEDULED ? your view
RYANAIR ? aid
SKYTEAM ? serious legal problems
SOUTHAMPTON AIRPORT ? battle of the airlines SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ? seat
selection returns SWISS ? German addition THOMAS COOK AIRLINES ? going
green TURBOPROPS ? orders rolling in VARIG ? keep away

ON TOUR: Delhi ? Capital of India
INCIDENTALLY: Blair Force One

COMMENT: British Airways

A short press release arrived from British Airways at 0800 Thursday morning
concerning an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading
(OFT) regarding alleged illegal trading.. Now if there is one thing that
the media does know about BA and that is its economy in actually sending
out news. The airline is notorious for its lack of action in the area,
whilst usually very good on a re-active basis. Virgin Atlantic uses PR, a
very cost effective marketing tool, effortlessly.
Ryanair goes to the other extreme, its philosophy that ?all publicity is
good publicity?.

The really curious thing is why did British Airways put out the story
first. There is a London Stock Exchange (LSE) requirement for notification
of any change to a company's board of directors executive responsibilities.
By getting in before the LSE BA drew attention to itself. The OFT, it would
appear somewhat reluctantly, did put out an announcement pm but no mention
of any airline name. Virtually at the same time Skyteam (see below) got
itself into potentially just as much trouble.

Clearly BA had a requirement to say something if a main board director was
to go on gardening leave, a curious move in itself. But why the timing? The
board decision could have been dressed up as a positive announcement
following the OFT statement. Of course it might be argued whichever way it
did things it was wrong. However there is a golden rule in PR. Only put out
the good news. Let the newspapers work for the bad headlines.

Was there price fixing or not? In every industry there are gatherings of
executives. It is inevitable particularly in one as complex as air travel.
The Times states (not allegedly) that a meeting took place between BA and
Virgin and also says that British Airways could have been set up. Yes
collusion is possible but if airline A adds a surcharge airline B can
increase its fares within seconds due to the Internet. On the North
Atlantic there are at least 11 carriers from London alone, BA and VS on the
British side and American and United from Heathrow; Continental, Delta and
US Airways from Gatwick; Eos and Maxjet at Stansted; and under an outdated
bilateral Air India and Kuwait Airways too. There is bmi from Manchester
and a whole host of carriers offering seats, often cut price, via
continental hubs. For the business traveller British Airways offers Club
World and First Class, whilst at Virgin its Upper Class product comes with
a pick-up/drop off facility and far more add-ons, both on the ground and in
the air, than BA. You really do have a choice.

As to fares, clients can book in a number of ways, all with different
benefits. Direct through the airline or via consolidators. We the cheapest
business class return fares from London to New York taken from the web last
Friday including all taxes for 1 September .

Air India (£1,027- Ebookers), Icelandair via Reykjavik (£1,052 -
lastminute.com), Virgin Atlantic (£2065 -Travel bag ) Continental
(£2,075 - Opodo) and British Airways (£2163 ? Airline Network). Surely
enough competition for anyone.

This whole affair does highlight British Airways. Where has it come from
and where is it going?

BA is on the threshold of great things. The move to T5 at Heathrow will for
once really bring efficiencies. Hiving off catering and other services did
reduce bottom line staff numbers but in other areas BA seems as unwieldy as
ever. It has no outstanding aircraft orders and has plenty of scope to
develop into areas largely unrepresented such as South America and parts of
the Far East. On the negative side there is a question mark over the
pension funds. For the most part people think it a fine airline.

The airline has a very curious PR record and does some strange things.
This week it is a co-sponsor of the Conde Naste luxury show at Olympia but
does anyone know about it? The media gleans intelligence from the very well
informed staff newspaper BA News, but not the press office.
New innovations the hacks usually discover for themselves. England flew
from Luton to Germany by BA, hardly a promotion for its London airports.
For three years running it has been involved with serious industrial
problems at Heathrow, badly handled say many inside and outside the
carrier.

BA does have a management problem. Let us suppose that the enquiry carries
on for some time loosing two senior executives on gardening leave, diluting
an already thin team if the staff cuts announced last year have taken
place.

The airline has in recent years been less than active in executive
recruiting. It could turn to consultants, perhaps more interested in their
own bottom line and not au fait with the industry or the airline. It can
urgently hire or promote from within. Or it can bring back, on a short term
basis, experienced retirees. Plenty for Willie Walsh to ponder over.

If it gets its acts together BA will emerge better and stronger from the
latest fiasco. Essentially it is a fine airline.

?The OFT can confirm that it is conducting both a criminal and civil
investigation into alleged price coordination by airlines in relation to
fuel surcharges for long haul passenger flights to and from the UK?. That
in itself is a curious statement.

Has nobody told the OFT that a BA 747 across the North Atlantic uses as
much fuel as a Virgin 747. It could be argued that its resources might be
better used investigating Ryanair, who never refund taxes for passengers
that don?t fly. British Airways does. But then Ryanair, a UK domiciled
airline, is a foreign carrier.

___________________________________________________________________

AIR TURQUOISE, the small French regional carrier which serves Luton from
Reims on a daily basis, is to move its headquarters to Vatry, in the heart
of the Champagne country, at the end of June. This clearly has been done
for financial reasons after a falling out with the local Chamber of
Commerce in Reims but the airline says that its quality of service, and
especially reliability and punctuality in bad weather situations, will
improve. All services will be moved including the one to London. Vatry is
about 40 miles from Reims city centre and the airline will initially
provide a free shuttle bus to connect with all flights. The airline says
that passengers will be delighted with the airport which offers free
parking (with video surveillance), 20-minute check-in and an air-
conditioned terminal. http://www.airturquoise.com
(P)

BANGKOK?S futuristic Suvarnabhumi Airport, which opened in a political
sense last September, is now due to receive its first regular scheduled
service this coming September, according to reports out of Thailand. In the
meantime the airport, whose name means "golden land"
in Thai, has been jogging along for more than 40 years but construction
delays and claims of financial irregularities have repeatedly postponed its
opening. The latest schedule for commercial opening is 28 September. On 29
July six airlines including flag carrier Thai Airways International,
Thailand?s biggest private airline Bangkok Airways and budget carrier Thai
AirAsia, will make test flights, it is said. However there are allegations
that only Thai airlines have been invited as the airport does not meet ICAO
standards. The new airport, with an initial capacity of 45m will relieve
Bangkok?s current Don Muang Airport currently accommodating 38.5m
passengers annually although it was designed to handle only 36m.
http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com (P)

BLACK FOREST AIRPORT, at Lahr, whose nearest major city is Strasbourg, 30
miles away across the Rhine, is to market incoming charter airline
operations. With its 3,000m main runway it will have no problem accepting
the type of aircraft used for this style of service. The airport?s new
owner, Australian Investor Babcock & Brown, is confident that the former
NATO air base can attract passengers from a large segment of Europe to the
nearby Europa-Park in Rust, currently with 3.5m visitors annually,
Germany?s largest leisure resort of its kind.
The airport is situated with very easy access to the A5, one of Germany?s
major Autobahns. http://www.blackforest-airport.com

BUSINESS MISCELLANY is a new publication by The Economist (in conjunction
with Profile Books Ltd) with sponsorship from bmi. Ideal as a gift, in 232
pages it covers all aspects of business and is designed to inform,
entertain and surprise. It ranges far and wide:
the world?s most valuable brands and what chief executives get paid both
sides of the Atlantic; some of the world?s biggest business blunders and
some of the biggest rogues; the utter awfulness of jargon used in business
and some good advice on business etiquette around the world. For anyone who
needs proof that you can combine business with pleasure, here it is. Just
£9 from most good bookshops.
http://www.flybmi.com http://www.profilebooks.com (P)

CYPRUS AIRWAYS has sold its charter subsidiary Eurocypria to the
government. They are in turn are expected to create a second debt-free
scheduled carrier. Created in 1991 Eurocypria took delivery of a fifth 189-
seat Boeing 737-800 last week. It flies to some 45 airports all over
Europe. Cyprus Airways itself is owned 70% by the state and was approved by
the European Commission for a USD$111m of government rescue aid in May
2005. Besides Cyprus the airline also operates out of Crete and Rhodes.
http://www.eurocypria.com

EASYJET appears to have dropped its Irish routes for the winter season but
has not confirmed so. All airlines are keen to inform on new destinations
but are noticeably quiet when services are to close.
Currently easyJet flies from Gatwick to Shannon three times daily, and to
Cork once a day. With slots at a premium if a route does not meet target
figures the simple way out is to close them. At least it appears that
easyJet have made the decision some way in advance. With some carriers if
the CEO says ?shut the route? it goes very quickly.
?We are sorry to inconvenience passengers but we are here to make a
profit!? http://www.easyjet.com (P)

ISRAEL and Jordan could get together to develop a joint airport for Eilat
and Aqaba, a plan that has been suggested before but has never actually got
off the ground. Last week Israeli veteran Deputy Prime Minister Shimon
Peres met with Jordan's King Abdullah in Petra at a Nobel Prize Laureates'
conference where the subject was discussed.
Aqaba has a little used airport that sits by the border with Israel whilst
the Eilat airport is virtually in the centre of the town and whilst OK for
lightly loaded Boeing 757s to Tel Aviv?s Ben Gurion the runway is short for
even medium range services typically to the UK. A rebuilt Aqaba with twin
terminals rather like Basle could be to each country?s advantage. The idea
is practical and has not have political overtures as demonstrated last week
by the Royal Jordanian Air Force using Eilat. The closure of the Israeli
airport would release very valuable land with a fine location. Currently
charter flights from Europe operate from the military airfield at Ovda,
about one hour?s desert drive from Eilat.
http://www.azworldairports.com/cfm/frame.cfm?
src=http://www.azworldairports.com/airports/p1850aqj.htm

ITALY and Alitalia are certainly getting a real broadside from the UK
domiciled budget airlines. When the Italian Civil Aviation Authority
blocked the easyJet and Ryanair Sardinia initiative in May the European
Commission launched an investigation into the application of PSO (Public
Service Obligation) rules in Italy. Ryanair is demanding that the EU reach
a speedy conclusion to its investigation. It questions just what is going
on in Italy. ?Why has Alitalia been allowed to operate on a PSO route that
it never applied for? Why did Meridiana suddenly offer Alitalia a codeshare
agreement on its PSO route after mediation by the Italian Ministry of
Transport? Why did AirOne and Meridiana agree to take on Alitalia?s 100
Sardinian employees after the president of the Sardinian region declared
that their jobs would be safe?? http://www.ryanair.com

JET AIRWAYS take-over of rival Indian airline Air Sahara has fallen
through, at least for the time being. Jet says it was paying too much after
due diligence. This leaves Air Sahara in a difficult position, the airline
in some ways already an effective part of Jet. As far as London is
concerned Air Sahara had dropped its little promoted daily Boeing 767
service several months back, the aircraft in a maintenance hangar prior to
re-emerging for Jet Airways proposed Ameristar ? Heathrow route. This
service has now been delayed. Jet Airways has however confirmed that it is
going double daily LHR ? BOM from 10 July. http://www.jetairways.com
http://www.airsahara.net

MANCHESTER?S new Hilton Hotel is getting ready for business and should be
open by the end of the summer, more or less on schedule. First announced
two years ago (and featured in ABTN) the full service deluxe Hilton will
occupy the first 23 floors of the landmark Beetham Tower.
It features 279 guest rooms, business centre, top-end meeting and
conference facilities, a swimming pool, LivingWell Express gym and beauty
treatment rooms and a banqueting suite. The Cloud 23 bar occupying the 23rd
floor will give magnificent views over the city and beyond as will the
adjoining executive lounge.
http://www.hilton.co.uk/manchesterdeansgate (P)

MAXJET has confirmed the delivery of its third aircraft allowing increased
frequencies on existing routes as well as development of new services.
Maxjet says that a fourth 102-seat Boeing 767 aircraft will be delivered
later this year. In May, the airline carried approximately 3,950 passengers
between Stansted and New York with an average load factor of 72%. The CAA
statistics showed 5,500 for the rotation leaving 1,550 with Eos, not a true
competitor but in truth after much the same market. The London to
Washington DC route, which began on 5 April, has also been successful. In
May Maxjet carried approximately 1,600 passengers between Stansted and
Washington. With an increasing demand, on 29 June, Maxjet will add a fifth
weekly flight on a Thursday to the US capital. Eos says that to date June
is running at 70% with a second JFK service due to come on line in
September once again with a 48-seat Boeing 547, but at a much higher yield.
http://www.maxjet.com http://www.eosairlines.com

MONARCH SCHEDULED may have bitten off more than it can chew with an
announcement last week offering to publish comments by passengers on any of
the airline?s destinations. With more and more travellers now choosing to
plan and book their holidays independently, the focus for research has
shifted away from the traditional holiday brochures to online travel sites
containing real-life reviews supplied by other travellers. The idea is to
provide the airline?s clients with insights to these places; the best and
worst bits, recommendations for trips, sights to explore, restaurants to
visit as well as real experiences.
In addition Monarch staff, who are often lucky enough to visit many of the
featured destinations, are also making available their top tips of things
to see and do. The airline says that all reviews will be vetted to avoid
spam or advertising abuse. However one typical comment might be ?after
staggering off my late/diverted/bumpy/poor flight I found xyz magnificent.
What a contrast!? Monarch operates scheduled services to Spain, Gibraltar
and Portugal from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Blackpool, Gatwick, Luton and
Manchester. http://www.flymonarch.com (P)

RYANAIR has been approved by the European Commission to receive grant aid
from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Var to assist for its new
service between Toulon and Stansted. The EU says that the aid is in line
with previous Commission decisions in this area, such as with Charleroi. It
also says that the offer was transparent and non-discriminatory, open to
any operator wishing to establish new flights to the airport. The funds,
which are payable in respect of the number of passengers carried, is
limited to 50% of the additional costs borne by Ryanair and to a maximum of
E500,000 per year for three years (with a possible extension for two
further years).
http://europa.eu/press_room/index_en.htm http://www.ryanair.com

SKYTEAM seems to have benefited from the uproar caused by the UK OFT
investigation into British Airways (above) with little coverage of its own
legal problems. It is being investigated by the European Commission and has
12 weeks to respond. It is looking into collusion between member airlines
on routes between the US and the European Union, but did not provide
details. When Air France and KLM merged, the commission required the
airlines to give up slots at their Paris and Amsterdam hubs in order to
increase competition. "SkyTeam carriers will have the opportunity to
demonstrate the economic benefits of the alliance and provide a preference
on the best way to address the
(antitrust) problems identified," the commission said in a statement.
http://ec.europa.eu http://www.skyteam.com

SOUTHAMPTON AIRPORT, part of BAA plc and now moving around 2m passengers
annually looks like becoming the site of an interesting airline war. Flybe
have confirmed its intention to replace for the winter season the current
Q400 and BAe 146 on its four times daily service to Edinburgh with the
brand new EMB 195. It has also signalled to introduce twice-daily flights
to Amsterdam on 11 September, jumping in ahead of bmi who have recently
announced a four times daily EMB 145 flights in contrast to the Exeter
operators Q400. Incumbent carrier Scot Airways is keeping its plans quiet
and continues four times a day flown by the popular Dornier 328, also a
propjet. From 29 October Flybe will offer a twice-daily (except Saturday)
flights to Düsseldorf and a single return service to Hannover.
http://www.flybe.com http://www.southamptonairport.com (P)

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES has begun a limited test of several boarding methods to
see how much time is required to "turn" the aircraft if customers are
holding an assigned seat. This trial is being conducted on select
departures from San Diego and will run for some weeks yet.
The test is part of Southwest's ongoing look at assigned seating and how it
could possibly be adapted to Southwest's business model. Now much copied
the efficiency of Southwest's boarding process has played an important part
in the carrier's successful 35-year history. By limiting aircraft time on
the ground, Southwest claims to have maintained an enviable ontime record
at a significant cost advantage over its competitors. The airline says it
will not implement a policy change that would negatively impact that
position.
http://www.southwest.com

SWISS is quickly benefiting from its new ownership by Lufthansa, who must
be taking advantage of the situation too. The Zurich-based carrier is to
receive a pair of Airbus A330-200 from its proprietor for the winter
season. Configured for 42 business class and 187 economy class seats, these
aircraft will replace leased-in equipment on East and West Africa routes
and also be used for timetable improvements for other intercontinental
destinations. Swiss will take delivery of the first Airbus A330-200 in mid-
November. It will be put into service on flights to Malabo/Douala/Yaoundé
and Nairobi/Dar es Salaam. The second aircraft will arrive in December and
add capacity on existing routes. http://www.swiss.com

THOMAS COOK AIRLINES has introduced a new catering concept on all its
flights. The holiday carrier seems to be leading the way as far as serving
airline meals to satisfy ?green? concerns. Out goes the cumbersome plastic
trays which have dominated sky high catering for the past quarter of a
century replaced by fast food-style boxes and containers with the emphasis
on recyclable and biodegradable materials. The new meal containers are
lighter in weight, helping to reduce the amount of fuel used by the
aircraft. The airline tested the new packaging materials earlier this year
and 5,000 passengers were asked for their views. Each passenger receives
the meal in a cradle-like container which instantly becomes a table mat
when laid flat. Bread roll, dessert, serviette and cutlery arrive in a box
and on top of this is the hot meal in a biodegradable container with film
lid. Customers are able to easily handle the hot meal container as it comes
with a cool touch strap which also features nutritional information. The
table mats/meal containers and boxes are made from lightweight recycled
cardboard. Hot drinks are served in cool touch recyclable cardboard cups.
http://www.thomascook.co.uk (P)

TURBOPROPS are really making a comeback. They are said to be 25% more
efficient fuel-wise than similar size pure jet equipment. ATR say that they
have taken 137 orders for new aircraft since January 2005 and Bombardier?s
backlog for the Q300/400 stood at 83 aircraft at the end of April. Last
week ATR confirmed an order with TransAsia Airways for two 72-500s to add
to its present fleet of three ATR 72-200 and seven ATR 72-500. Since the
beginning of the programme, ATR has sold 808 aircraft (399 ATR 42s and 409
ATR 72s) and delivered 696 aircraft (384 ATR 42s and 312 ATR 72s).
http://www.atraircraft.com http://www.aero.bombardier.com (P)

VARIG users should be very careful over the coming weeks until its solvency
position clarifies itself. As things stand flights are being cancelled at
an alarming rate and on Friday a Brazilian judge failed to approve the sale
of the airline to a consortium backed by TVG, the airline?s main trade
union. But with various aircraft grounded in the US and creditors at the
door nothing is certain. In the meantime Brazil?s other airlines are
hanging around like vultures (and who can blame them). Should Brazil win
the World Cup Varig, as the team?s official sponsor, would be hard pressed
to bring the victorious 11 home. (plus a mass of hangers on ? Brazilians
traditionally travel in numbers). The carrier has indefinitely suspended
services to ten cities including New York, Paris, Los Angeles and Milan.
London, for the time being, remains. http://www.varig.co.uk

FORTHCOMING EVENTS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO READERS:

With summer very much in mind we highlight the Goodwood Festival of Speed
7/8/9 July, which not only features classic racing cars, saloons and single
seaters, but classic aircraft too. If the date is too close for you the
Goodwood Revival meeting takes place 1/2/3 September.
http://www.goodwood.co.uk
___________________________________________________________________

ON TOUR: Delhi ? Capital of India (P)

If you have been to Mumbai (Bombay) and you think that is a typical Indian
city Delhi is a complete contrast, European in many respects.
In fact it is two cities, Old Delhi and New Delhi, the first one dating
from the 11th century, and the second, a British initiative, from 1911.

Following a decision to move the capital of Imperial India from Calcutta to
Delhi it was formally inaugurated in 1931 and is in the main the work of
two English architects, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker, in essence
an imperial statement with its wide thoroughfares, sweeping vistas and
imposing edifices. But the architects of New Delhi took pains to blend
their architectural styles with those that had gone before.

Flying in on Jet Airways (excellent) and frequent service from Mumbai,
Indira Gandhi International is only 14 miles from the centre with proper
dual carriageway access. There is also a military airfield even closer in
which would make for a great city centre airport.

The star of a city full of stars is the massive Red Fort ?Lal Qila?
dating back to 1638, the site of the last Mughal Emperor?s abdication in
1857 when the British took over, a sovereignty which lasted just 90 years.
The halls and palaces tell the story of the dynasty and there is a fine
museum. At night a light show is a popular attraction but be warned, the
commentary does not reflect the generally good perception of British rule.
It needs updating.

Close by the Red Fort, within the alleys, bazaars and smells of the old
city, and in fact a bicycle rickshaw ride away, is the JamaMajid mosque,
dating from 1656, with its three majestic black and white domes covering
the prayer hall, accommodating up to 25,000 worshippers. Much older, it
dates back to 1193, is the Quatab Minar tower with its five distinct
storeys soaring up 239 ft. You cannot climb the internal stairs but what
you can do is stare at the impressive structure and admire the long time
gone engineers who made it possible and Emperor Aikab who started the work.
They were true engineers in any sense of the word. Next door is an even
more massive base, the work of a later and less respected monarch, whose
efforts were quickly abandoned on his death.

Mahatma Gandhi ?The Father of the Nation? was assassinated died in Delhi
near the Lakshminarayan Temple where he often prayed. This Hindu place of
worship is in itself well worth a visit but it is the Raj Ghat, the site of
his cremation, and set in large well kept undulating gardens, that is the
place of pilgrimage for Indians. The national flag must be the only one in
the world that includes the symbol of the country?s founder, a black
spinning wheel on a white background.
Nehru, the first prime minister, was cremated here too. Unlike Gandhi,
noted for his frugal ways, Nehru liked the grandeur of the Empire, his
stately mansion, Teen Murti Bhavan, preserved and open to the public

Not everything is perfect. The railway museum, which should be the world?s
greatest, is poor, potentially superb and does not compare with the British
version at York. It needs much money spent on it.
Indian Railways cover 67,000 miles of track and employs 1.6m staff. In
contrast Safdarjungs? Tomb is a mini Taj Mahal, just as beautiful, smaller,
but in a less unpleasant setting. Another memorial, the India Gate, was
originally built to honour the 90,000 nationals who lost their lives in
World War I. Today, with its eternal flame, it is a monument to all Indian
soldiers lost abroad.

Delhi is well served by hotels of high quality. ABTN stayed at the Oberoi
situated on the Dr Zakar Hussain Road overlooking the exclusive Delhi Golf
Club. The company also has the flight catering contract with Jet Airways,
which it is very proud of and pleased to publicise.
Brand new is a Shangri-La, right up to the very finest standards that the
Hong Kong based company offers. Set amidst beautiful landscaped gardens its
location is ideal, within walking distance (providing it is not too hot ?
or wet) of the Connaught Place shopping and business area. It has the
latest Shangri-La innovation, a Chi spa. Not far away is the State Emporia
complex on Baba Kharak Singh Marg where shops devoted to arts and artifacts
of various states are available and run by the regional governments. The
Dilli Haat run by Delhi Tourism is similar. And there are street traders.
After all this is the East

In recent years Delhi has transformed itself from a staid political capital
into the social and cultural centre of India. Western ideas have percolated
with fashion shows, movie making, celebrity culture, book launches and the
latest in rock. There are shopping malls complete with eateries, bars and
multiplex cinemas. A huge variety of restaurants provide everything from
South East Asian and Mediterranean to arguably the best Indian food in the
world.

The beggars in Delhi are not on the same scale as Mumbai. Use the hotel
laundry facilities. With some it is offered as a courtesy but in any event
it is very cheap. Allow for a minimum of four days for your visit. Agra and
the Taj Mahal, could be a day trip. Organise your tour with a local
operator. Rather like in China it is not expensive and the guides really
know their way around. Jetair Tours, a division of the airline, can do it
all for you. http://www.delhitourism.nic.in http://www.jetairtours.com

INCIDENTALLY: Blair Force One

Following last week?s COMMENT column concerning the lack of specialist air
correspondents, which seems to have been well received, we reproduce the
following from that hallowed institution The Times.

??as the heavy 1960s airliner struggled to get up any speed.? A slightly
worrying statement. One wonders if that most experienced of aviators, HRH
Prince Philip, might get concerned.

The lady writer, who to spare her blushes we will not name, was describing
the Vickers VC10, a stately old warhorse and still the backbone RAF 32
Squadron, usually called ?The Queens Flight?. The VC is capable of cruising
at 500 knots at 35,000 ft, quicker than the Boeing 767. As an airliner it
was extremely popular with passengers.
?Even short hops took hours, ? said The Times deputy political editor.
We are certain the Prince would have noticed. He takes hops in helicopters
and used to fly them too.

For short trips she goes on to mention the ?Canada Air? corporate jet,
which we think is her understanding for the Bombardier (formerly
Canadair) Challenger series. No mention of the de Havilland, HS, BAe and
now Raytheon Hawker 800, surely the world?s most successful business
aircraft, designed at Hatfield.

In any event it seems that a Boeing 737-700 is to be leased, a fine
aircraft.

Surely our Monarch should be seen in a partially British built Airbus.
After all you cannot imagine George Bush ordering an A380 as Air Force One.

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