Thai to begin new service to Oslo

Thai airways is beginning a new long haul flight from Bangkok to Oslo. This will be a 5x weekly flight operated on a A340-500. Services begin June 15, 2009

Canjet airline in hostage drama

A gunman hijacked a plane on the tarmac near Jamaica’s resort city of Montego Bay and is holding the crew members hostage, the airline said today. An airport spokeswoman said nobody has been injured. The gunman boarded the plane carrying 182 people Sunday night after it landed in Jamaica, according to the statement from CanJet Airlines. It said all the passengers have been released from the Boeing 737 without harm. Authorities said the gunman’s demands were not immediately clear. “There is somebody on the plane. We don’t know who it is,” police spokesman Karl Angell said. The situation began around 10 p.m. Sunday (0300 GMT Monday) and CanJet flight 918 destined for Halifax, Canada, never took off from the airport, according to Elizabeth Scotton, a spokeswoman for Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport. Prime Minister Bruce Golding was traveling to Montego Bay in response to the emergency, Radio Jamaica reported. CNN reported that the gunmen was holding five crew members on the plane. The airline said “a full security operation is under way” and it is cooperating with authorities in this Caribbean island

FedEx retires the DC-10 today

DC-10 operations at FedEx officially ended today when N315FE was ferried to KVCV as FX9010.  71 airframes continue in service with FedEx as MD-10s.

Flydubai, a new low cost airline launched in Dubai

The prevailing financial crisis has not deterred the emirate of Dubai to launch a new low cost airline, called Flydubai.

The new airline aims at offering an easy and affordable way to travel in the Middle East region, starting with two next-generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with 189 economy seats each.

Flydubai Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktum, speaking to reporters on Monday, said that the airline would start flights next June to Beirut and Amman. Flydubai

Flydubai will be based at Terminal 2 of Dubai International Airport and has already appointed over 60 captains, 18 first officers and 80-cabin crew.

The airline has simplified the check-in process by issuing boarding passes, instead of paper or e-tickets, which means passengers are checked-in once their booking is paid for.

Passengers will be ale to book online at flydubai.com at no charge or through the flydubai call centre. The fare includes all taxes and a 10 kg hand baggage allowance.

CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith has said that Flydubai as a true low cost airline, has look very hard at ways to make its operations more efficient and added: “If we find a cost that can be eliminated, we will – with savings passed onto our customers.” (ANI)