Aviation with Style

A passenger of a Saudia Airlines flight bound to Dubai was injured after a water cannon salute, that was intended to celebrate the Saudi Arabia National Day, went awry, according to a report made public recently by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The incident happened on September 20 last year at 10.38am after a Saudia Airlines flight SV566 from Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport landed at Dubai International Airport (DXB). There were two flight crew members, five cabin crew members and 119 passengers on-board. According to the GCAA investigation, the flight and the landing were uneventful as the aircraft (an Airbus A320-214) taxied to gate C58 of DXB as instructed. After turning towards the terminal, two firefighting vehicles, which were located on either side of the taxiway, started spraying jets of water to welcome the plane with a water salute ahead of the celebration of the Saudi Arabia National Day on September 23. The vehicle turret oper...

Travelers from around the world seeking to fly to the United States will soon face a new series of security hurdles before they’ll be allowed to enter the country. And if the airline they are flying is either unable or unwilling to comply with the new security measures being imposed by the Department of Homeland Security, the airline could lose its landing rights in the United States. “ I am concerned that we are seeing renewed interest on the part of terrorist groups to go after the aviation sector—from bombing aircraft to attacking airports on the ground, as we saw in Brussels and Istanbul ,” said John F. Kelley, the Secretary of Homeland Security. “ However, we are not standing on the sidelines while fanatics hatch new plots. The U.S. government is focused on deterring, detecting, and disrupting these threats ,” he said. “We cannot play international whack-a-mole with each new threat. Instead, we must put in place new measures across the board to keep the traveling pub...

In-flight Internet is virtually ubiquitous these days with most major airlines offering some form of sky-high WiFi – and while this has traditionally attracted sky-high prices to match, the cost of connecting mid-flight is on the decline, with some airlines now even offering the service for free. Among them: Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Finnair, Qantas and Virgin Australia: and if the trend continues, the prospect of   paying   for in-flight Internet could soon mirror the same concept at hotels, where Internet access once cost a small fortune but now comes at no charge for most guests. Australian Business Traveller   highlights five airlines that provide some form of free inflight Internet, including how you can take advantage on your next domestic or international flight. Emirates: free Airbus A380, Boeing 777 in-flight Internet: A business or first class ticket with Emirates now buys   unlimited free Wi-Fi   with the Gulf carrier . Passengers book...

Residents reportedly stockpiling goods from supermarkets amid fears over food imports after land, sea and air routes closed. The tiny Gulf state of Qatar has been literally and figuratively isolated by the escalating row with its Arab neighbours, with   land, sea and air routes closed off   in an unprecedented crisis in the Arabian peninsula that threatens longstanding trade deals. The closure of the only land route into Qatar as well as the airspaces of   Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in effect established a blockade on Doha, which relies almost entirely on imports to feed its population. It will damage the prospects of a recovery for Doha’s national carrier,   Qatar   Airways, amid a slowdown caused by the US administration’s ban on electronic devices in the cabins of aircraft flying from the Middle East, and will raise questions about the future of al-Jazeera, the flagship television network established by the Gulf kingdom an...

 The Civil Aviation Authority is the body that regulates civil aviation activities in Sri Lanka. From 27 December 2002 to date, respective governments changed its chairmen, but the only person who remains in his job all this while is its Director General H.M. Chandrasena Nimalsiri. For 15 years, he is running an authoritarian rule to establish his power. Those who are close and near him get all the privileges, while a majority of employees of the institution remain trampled by his iron shoes. To say the least, the Authority does not have a second string. The DG thinks of flying in the air until the day he dies. The ages of officials in its hierarchy are as follows: · Director General – 59 Years · Additional Director General – 59 Years · Three Deputy Director Generals – 60 years, 58 years, 57 yr Taking a look at this group nearing 60 years of age, it is not difficult to understand the mentality of the DG, who is surrounded by his friends of his own age, while t...