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KLM’s first E-ticketing passenger in Thailand, Fergus Sinclair, is welcomed at Bangkok airport by KLM staff
From
left the photo shows Lackana Wantaywin, KLM Sales Manager Thailand; and
Fergus Sinclair, KLM’s first E-ticketing passenger in Thailand; Hans
Jeronimus, KLM Airport Services Manager; Sumeth Rangsithanasak, KLM Deputy
Service Manager and Flight Operations Manager.
TAT holds out prizes as carrot to domestic tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is holding a
tourism fair early in May to pull in over 400 hotel and airline companies to
offer discounts of as much as 40 percent together with freebies and prizes
in a bid to boost domestic tourism.
With the outbreak of war in Iraq, coupled with fears over
Asia’s killer Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), domestic tourism
has suddenly shot into importance, with the government hoping that increased
revenues from domestic tourists will help compensate for lost earnings from
foreign visitors.
Tourism Minister Sontaya Khunpluem said the government
had held two meetings with private sector tour operators, and that TAT is
now ready to launch its domestic tourism drive into the public arena with a
tourism promotion fair on May 1st through May 4th entitled ‘Tour Thailand
- Be Lucky’ to be held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.
The fair will bring together services for general
tourists, young tourists and eco-tourists. Tour companies and hotels will
offer discounts of 30-40 percent in the form of tour programs and
accommodation coupons, which will be valid until the end of the year.
Visitors to the fair will also be offered giveaways in
accordance with the amount of money they spend, and will have a chance to
send in their holiday photos to compete in an ‘Outstanding Tourist’
prize from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The TAT has estimated that the combined affects of the
Iraq war and SARS could cost Thailand several million baht in lost tourism
revenues, with several thousand European and US visitors already canceling
their bookings.
However, the TAT remains upbeat that a boost in domestic
tourism and an increase in visitors from Asian markets will help compensate
for the lost of tourists from further afield.
Sontaya said that there will also be special promotions
for the incentive and convention markets. “Offering tour programs as
prizes to outstanding members of staff not only gives pride to the staff,
but also helps promote the tourism industry and helps the national economy.
In addition, companies wishing to hold meetings will be able to meet up with
expert convention organizers offering discounts too,” said Sontaya.
The TAT also plans to invite representatives of private
sector companies to view tourist destinations and services on offer for the
incentive and convention markets, with 40 hotels across the county already
expressing an interest in offering discount prices for this market.
Sontaya said he already discussed tourism stimulus
measures with Prime Minister Thaksin, who will open the fair on May 1.
Emirates will carry Kuwait Airways passengers
Emirates has entered into an agreement with Kuwait
Airways that allows all Kuwait Airways passengers to travel on Emirates
flights without the need for their tickets to be endorsed.
This follows Kuwait Airways suspension of its world-wide
operations with the exception of services to Dubai and Cairo. Now, for
example, a Kuwait Airways ticket-holder traveling from
Singapore-Kuwait-Beirut can now travel without endorsement on Emirates
Singapore-Dubai-Beirut.
The Endorsement Waiver Agreement between the two airlines
came into operation on March 23. Kuwait Airways will rebook its passengers
on Emirates flights where possible. Emirates will accommodate Kuwait Airways
ticket-holders that have not been rebooked on a standby basis. The agreement
will remain in effect until further notice.
In normal circumstances, Kuwait Airways must endorse its
own tickets before they can be used travel on Emirates.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Emirates Commercial Operations
Director, said, “In this extraordinary situation, Emirates is offering
every assistance to Kuwait Airways and its passengers to whom we will extend
every consideration.”
Following a problem-free operation, Emirates is
continuing its flights between Dubai and Kuwait. Timings are changed for the
afternoon service but not for the morning one.
Timings for the morning flight, operated on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays remain unchanged.
EK 855 departs Dubai at 0745 and arrives Kuwait at 0730.
The return flight EK 856 departs Kuwait at 0940 and arrives Dubai at 1210.
All times given are local.
Al Ghaith said, “We continue to monitor the situation
closely.”
The boarding of passengers traveling to Kuwait as their
end destination and on flights to Dubai from stations across the network has
now been resumed.
SWISS Board decision concerning top management and capital reduction
SWISS (Swiss International Air Lines) is one of the
world’s newest international airline brands with over 70 years of
experience and more than 10,000 staff around the world.
Manfred
Brennwald, managing director of operations responsible for engineering and
flight operations.
Ulrik
Svensson, managing director of finance responsible for finance and corporate
services.
SWISS has daily flights between Bangkok and Zurich, as
well as Bangkok and Singapore, with convenient connections from Zurich to
all major European cities, as well as Africa, North and South America, and
throughout Asia.
SWISS has completed the placement of its new senior
management level staff. The appointment of Ulrik Svensson as managing
director of finance responsible for finance, and corporate services and
Manfred Brennwald as managing director of operations responsible for
engineering and flight operations, completes the senior management team at
SWISS.
The appointments were made in the context of a new
management level in the top management structure.
Reduction in capital
The Shareholder’s meeting on May 6 2003 will be called
to vote on a possible cut in capital. Given that the company cannot operate
profitably in the current environment, net equity may end up falling below
half the level of the capital, in which case the Swiss Code of Obligations
requires action to be taken.
The Board of Directors wishes to prevent net equity from
falling below 50% and will therefore propose that the par value of the
shares be reduced from 50 to 32 francs at the forthcoming ordinary
Shareholder’s Meeting. It will also reduce the discrepancy between the
nominal value and the market value of SWISS shares and bring tax benefits
for the company.
Contract for new A340 with SR
Technics
SWISS intend to outsource maintenance work on the new
Airbus A340-300 jets, which will join the fleet in June, to SR Technics.
This contact will supplement the existing maintenance contact between SWISS
and SR Technics for the Airbus A320s and A330s. The contact will run for six
years.
Valuable synergies will be capture by having all SWISS
Airbus aircraft serviced by SR Technics. SR Technics looks after SWISS
aircraft under a “Total Maintenance Contract”. This means it is
responsible for all the technical work on the cells, components and engines.
SWISS modifies aircraft orders
SWISS is responding to the crisis in the air transport
industry by modifying its current fleet renewal program. Adjustments are
being made to both the number of EMBRAER aircraft ordered and the timetable
for their delivery.
For more information about Swiss international Air Lines please visit
website www.swiss.com.
Opening ceremony of art exhibition “11 Thai Image”
Thanpuying Boonruen Choonhawan and Chaiya Saomsap,
Advisor to Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives recently jointly cut the
ribbon to mark the opening ceremony of the art exhibition titled “11 Thai
Image” by a group of artists from Nakornpathom Province at exhibition area
3rd floor of Amari Watergate Hotel. The exhibition will display until April
30, 2003.
Thanpuying
Boonruen (center) and Chaiya (3rd left) jointly cutting the ribbon. Guests
of honor looking on from left are Pierre Andre Pelletier, general manager of
the hotel; Supa Pakkato, artist; Nichaya Chaivisuth, director of Public
Relations of the hotel; Sophia La, Warisariya Ngamkerdsiri and Ajarn
Pratueng Eam-Jareon.
Proceeds will be donated to the Foundation for the Blind in Thailand
under the Royal Patronage of H.M. the Queen.
Air India ready for bids on MLCR aircraft
The Air India Board cleared the decks for opening of
financial bids invited by Air-India for Medium Capacity Long Range (MCLR)
aircraft at its recent meeting held in Mumbai.
The two aircraft under consideration are Boeing 777-200
ER and A-340. These aircraft were identified on the basis of Air-India’s
requirements for a minimum of 250 seats in three class configuration. The
Air-India Board had in its earlier meeting, accorded approval for purchase
of ten MCLR aircraft with seven options.
The financial bids, which have already been received by
Air-India, will now be opened and recommendation for purchase of one of the
two short-listed aircraft is expected at the next meeting of the Board.
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