Airport

Krabi International Airport is hoping to double its passenger capacity when a new passenger terminal opens, car parking areas increased and renovations are completed on the old terminal. The terminals were expected to officially open in October, but the schedule is now postponed until November due to delays caused by the Covid pandemic in Thailand (although The Thaiger notes the terminal has been largely empty for most of the past year). Yesterday, the Department of Airports updated the development of the construction and renovations at Krabi International Airport. The department says that the project is now 80% complete, and was expected to be finished before November this year. The report says that the new terminal and 2 renovated terminals would provide 68,000 square metres – doubling the passenger capacity from 4 million passengers to 8 million passengers per year. The car parking building would be able to accommodate 2,000 cars. Airport officials say that the new or third … [Read more...] about New Krabi Airport terminal scheduled to open in November

- A + A (May 18): A welcome revival in travel and cargo demand helped Singapore Airlines Ltd narrow losses in the second half of the fiscal year through March, though the high price of oil weighed on the carrier, its annual results showed. The airline’s net loss in the October-March period was S$125 million (US$90 million), it said in a statement Wednesday, compared with a loss of S$804 million a year earlier. Sales more than doubled in the six-month period to S$4.79 billion. Singapore started unraveling tight Covid-19 travel restrictions in September, allowing fully-vaccinated people from certain countries to enter without having to quarantine — a boost to the flag carrier, which had suffered record losses in the height of the pandemic. With Singapore further loosening curbs in April, quarantine-free entry is available for inoculated travelers from anywhere. “Key markets around the world have further eased travel restrictions, supporting a strong recovery in … [Read more...] about Singapore Airlines’ second-half loss narrows as travel picks up

Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, 51, has agreed to examine a new rule on generating boarding passes. Aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has promised to look into the matter of airlines charging extra to provide a hard copy of boarding pass to passengers. Scindia agreed that airlines charging extra for generating a boarding pass was “ridiculous” when tagged in a complaint about low-cost airline SpiceJet. On Friday, a Twitter user complained about SpiceJet charging their customers for generating a boarding pass at the check-in counter. “New rule of SpiceJet. If you wish to get a boarding card at the check in counter, you need to pay extra. This is like telling a customer in a restaurant that if you want eat in a plate, you will be charged,” the user tweeted. This issue was brought to the aviation minister’s attention by a journalist who branded the rule “ridiculous.” "Agreed, will examine this asap!" Jyotiraditya Scindia promised. Agreed, will examine this … [Read more...] about Aviation minister Scindia to examine ‘ridiculous’ new airline rule

An IndiGo staffer allegedly called a distressed teen with disability a threat to other passengers. (Screengrab from video posted on Facebook by Manisha Gupta) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a show cause notice to private carrier IndiGo for denying boarding to a child with special needs , an official release said on May 16. The airline has been asked to explain within 10 days why action should not be initiated against it, the aviation sector regulator said. The incident, which drew flak towards IndiGo, was reported on May 7 at the Ranchi Airport. Citing safety risks, the airline staffers had denied boarding to a teenager with special needs. After the incident drew outrage, the DGCA had, in the past week, constituted a three-member inquiry committee to conduct a probe. "The committee has submitted its report," the official release said, adding, "The findings of the committee prima facie indicate inappropriate handling of passengers by the … [Read more...] about DGCA issues show cause notice to IndiGo for denying boarding to child with special needs

An IndiGo staffer called a distressed teen with disability a threat to other passengers. (Screengrab from video posted on Facebook by Manisha Gupta). After facing public anger for not allowing a teen with disability and his family to board a flight at the Ranchi airport, IndiGo said it made the best possible decision under difficult circumstances. The teenager was "visibly in panic" at the boarding area, the airline's Chief Executive Officer Ronojoy Dutta said in statement on May 9. "While providing courteous and compassionate service to our customers is of paramount importance to us, the airport staff, in line with the safety guidelines, were forced to make a difficult decision as to whether this commotion would carry forward aboard the aircraft." IndiGo said it was nevertheless distressed by the incident and offered to buy the teenager an electric wheelchair.  "Throughout the check-in and boarding process our intent of course was to carry the family." The incident … [Read more...] about IndiGo stands by Ranchi incident involving teen with disability, offers to buy him electric wheelchair

Black box data on crashed China Eastern 737 suggests possible “intentional nosedive” Investigators are now examining further if the crash of China Eastern Airlines 737-800 on March 21 was indeed due to “intentional action on the flight deck”. The early reports say that there is, so far, no evidence of a technical malfunction. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that flight data from one of the two “black boxes” on the Boeing jet indicated that “someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane”. The comments were made by people the WSJ cited as “familiar with the preliminary assessment by US officials”. US National Transportation Safety Board officials have been working with engineers from Boeing and investigators from the Civil Aviation Administration of China since the crash. Boeing, the US manufacturer of the jet, has so far declined to comment on the early leaks and, instead, referred all questions to the Chinese regulators. At this stage, the CAAC, … [Read more...] about Thailand News Today | Crashed China eastern flight possible “intentional nosedive”

As part of a push to draw more Middle Eastern tourists to Thailand, tourism officials visited Saudi Arabia on May 15-16 in a roadshow. There, the Tourism Authority of Thailand signed a memorandum of cooperation with Almosafer, the biggest OTA in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The TAT also signed an MoC with Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, to promote a global campaign as well as luxury and wellness products. At the roadshow, Thai operators received 128 business appointments on average, estimated to generate 1 billion baht this year. Thailand now also plans to set up halal food centres in every province in order to promote halal tourism. This news comes after the TAT set a goal in March of attracting 200,000-500,000 Middle Eastern tourists to Thailand this year. Thailand is particularly seeking to attract Middle Eastern tourists for medical and wellness tourism. Last week, TAT brought 24 operators to the Arabian Travel Market 2022 at Dubai World Trade Centre, hoping to attract … [Read more...] about Thai officials visit Saudi Arabia for roadshow, push for more tourists

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. (FILE PHOTO) MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) expects its personnel to grow by over 24,000 in 2022 after new recruits complete their training, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), its parent agency, said in a statement on Wednesday. The PCG strength is over 22,000 members — 2,636 officers (878 females and 1,758 males) and 19,754 non-officers (2,831 females and 16,923 males). There are also 221 civilian PCG employees (163 are females and 58 are males), while 1,757 more are expected to finish training this year, bringing the total to 24,368. The personnel expansion is part of the PCG modernization program, which Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said would further grow to 35,000 in the future. “The Philippine Coast Guard today has flown high. We started with around 8,000 personnel. Now, we are going to have more than 22,000 members. I expect more. I want the PCG to have more members that’s why I want to … [Read more...] about Coast Guard personnel expected to exceed 24,000 in 2022

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Johnny Depp’s attorneys on Tuesday ended their two-day cross-examination of Amber Heard in the actor’s $50 million defamation lawsuit against her, during which the Aquaman actress claimed Depp tried to kill her and denied that she ever abused any of her romantic partners. Key Facts Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez suggested on Tuesday Heard is lying about her ex-husband’s abuse and asked if Heard was ever scared of Depp, to which she replied, “This is a man who tried to kill me … Of course,” according to Variety . Heard said she has “never assaulted anyone I’ve been romantically involved with” and “didn’t assault Johnny ever,” Deadline and other outlets reported, denying Depp’s claims she abused him. Vasquez showed “love notes” Heard wrote about Depp in her journal, and read one instance in which Heard said she was “sorry” for “hurting” Depp, Vulture reported. Vasquez referred to … [Read more...] about Amber Heard Says Johnny Depp ‘Tried To Kill Me’ As Cross-Examination Ends