TRAVEL & TOURISM
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

LTU flies to North Pole

Ibis finds new nests in Thailand

Nok Air bullish on Bangalore debut

Rules on in flight liquids to be strictly enforced

AirAsia X tipped for September date Down Under


LTU flies to North Pole

The first sightseeing flight to the North Pole returned safely to Dusseldorf Airport, Germany on May 20. This premiere flight, operated by German based airline LTU, used a fuel-efficient Airbus A330-200, which flew north from Dusseldorf across Denmark, Central Norway and the Norwegian coast all the way up to the Spitsbergen Archipelago.

German airline LTU can now take you to the North Pole and still get you back in time for dinner.
The weather was near perfect for the flight and passengers were able to see the beautiful arctic landscape very clearly. Besides views through the passenger windows, seven cameras were installed in the cockpit and offered a high-quality live transmission of pictures into the passenger cabin.
After passing Spitsbergen, the flight continued directly towards the North Pole, 90 degrees North. While approaching the Pole, passengers (some of whom came all the way from Canada or the USA) toasted the occasion with a glass of Champagne.
At the Pole, flight captain Josef Moser performed a small flight around the world, passing all degrees of longitude and the International Date Line within minutes. What followed was just as spectacular: two hours of clear skies and beautiful views along Greenland’s East Coast. From Southern Greenland, the flight took passengers via Iceland directly to Dusseldorf where the flight landed after just under 13 hours duration in time for sunset.
Two hundred and eighty five passengers of 13 different nationalities were aboard this premiere flight and because of the very good feedback, travel specialists Deutsche Polarflug have announced they will launch a second polar flight later this year. The flight will once more depart from Dusseldorf on September 1st and again be operated by LTU Airlines.
The carbon footprint (pollution) caused by this inaugural flight was offset by a donation from all the passengers to a partner company involved in conservation. The ticket price of the second planned flight in September will contain this charge already. Flights can be booked and more information can be obtained on the website www.polarflug.de


Ibis finds new nests in Thailand

Accor has announced it will open four new Ibis properties in Thailand next year - with the economy brand’s presence in the kingdom set to swell to at least 12 by 2010.
Ten new-build properties are being developed in a joint venture with The Erawan Group.
The hotels slated to open next year will be located in Pattaya (250 rooms), Phuket (250 rooms), Koh Samui (200 rooms) and Bangkok (200 rooms). The Pattaya property is expected to open first.
Accor introduced the Ibis brand in Thailand last year when it unveiled two properties in Bangkok.
The company will also increase the presence of its All Seasons economy brand in Thailand with the planned launch this year of the 159-room All Seasons Gold Orchid Bangkok, 110-room All Seasons Sathorn Bangkok and 154-room All Seasons Naiharn Phuket.
Accor senior vice-president sales and marketing, Mr. Ray Stone, said the company was plugging a gap in the market with the launch of Ibis and All Seasons properties.
He said: “We have been helped a lot by the growth of low-cost carriers and Bangkok becoming a bit of a hub for low-cost carriers.”
Mr. Stone added: “Typically in this segment, you don’t often find a branded product and you don’t find an internationally branded product.” (TTG)


Nok Air bullish on Bangalore debut

Thai low-cost carrier, Nok Air, which will begin its international daily flight between Bangkok and Bangalore from June 1, is positioning itself as a “shopper’s airline”.
The LCC is promoting Bangkok as a shopper’s paradise to Indian passengers - leveraging on South-east Asia’s largest and most luxurious shopping complex Siam Paragon and the vibrant Chatuchak weekend market.
CEO, Mr. Patee Sarasin, said: “Nok Air did extensive research before launching our international route to India, and Bangalore being one of the most dynamic and prosperous cities of the country, we expect to see excellent traffic.”
The service will be operated on a 150-seat Boeing 737-400 aircraft. (TTG)


Rules on in flight liquids to be strictly enforced

The Transport Ministry’s Aviation Department will from this week - June 1 - enforce its rule requiring air passengers to display liquids, gels and sprays in transparent containers before boarding flights, Director-General Chaisak Angkasuwan announced.
Mr. Chaisak said he had met representatives of Airports of Thailand (AoT), airlines and King Power, contracted for duty free and other business at Suvarnabhumi airport, regarding the measure, which will be enforced both on domestic and international routes beginning Friday, June 1.
Enforcement will follow International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) procedures already used by many airlines worldwide after Britain last year disclosed that terrorists planned to destroy planes and passengers with liquid bombs carried aboard aircraft.
Mr. Chaisak said ICAO personnel will inspect security measures at the new airport and how Thai authorities monitor the carrying of liquid substances, gels and sprays by passengers.
Although King Power has prepared clear plastic bags for passengers buying products from its duty free shop at the airport, it expects its sales to drop by 20-30 per cent in the first three to six months after the rule is enforced.
Passengers may find it troublesome to carry the products aboard the plane in the beginning but sales may pick up later after they are accustomed to the measure, the company said.
Thai Airways International, the national flag carrier, earlier said the company will comply with the new rule. (TNA)


AirAsia X tipped for September date Down Under

Longhaul budget airline, AirAsia X, plans to start flights on September 8, between Kuala Lumpur and either Adelaide or Melbourne, according to reports Down Under.
AirAsia’s chief executive officer, Datuk Tony Fernandes, was quoted as saying that an RM800 (US$235) return fare from Australia to Kuala Lumpur was sustainable.
Ms Arzila Arshad, marketing manager of Fly Asian Xpress’s’ (FAX) the subsidiary operating AirAsia X, said Australia would be among the first few destinations being planned for the launch in September, but declined to confirm the details in the reports.
“There are others, but I don’t want to reveal them now as they keep changing by the day,” she added. (TTG)