JEDDAH, 26 June 2004 — Air-India is operating two Boeing 747 flights from Jeddah to clear the holiday rush to Calicut on July 8 and to Bombay via Delhi on July 11. “A-I will try to operate more special flights if demand warrants,” A-I’s Western Province manager P. Ashok Kumar said last week at the final draw of its “sell and win” promotion for agents, which ended after a four-week run. Winners of the weekly draws are Portfolio Travel, Almashwali Travel, Al Jammaz Travel, Rainbow Travel, Kanoo Travel, Worldwide Travel, Alfareed Travel, Al-Jouf Travel, Al-Faisaliah Travel and STATCO. Over 3,000 airline coupons issued by various agents were entered in the four draws, including those from Makkah, Madinah and Taif. Children below 12 years of age flying by the carrier will receive gifts. A-I operates 13 flights a week from Jeddah — four to Calicut and three each to Hyderabad, Lucknow and Bombay. It operates weekly 17 other flights from Riyadh and Dammam.
Trident Hosts European Food Festival
JEDDAH, 26 June 2004 — Jeddah Trident is hosting a European culinary food festival for three days from today. “This is the first of many events we’re organizing to attract vacationers and visitors during the ongoing annual Jeddah Summer Festival,” Trident general manager Chander Nain said. Airlines, tour operators and commercial products are supporting its various events during the season. “The hotel, with 216 rooms and suites equipped with modern facilities, has already started its renovation floorwise. It now has three corporate executive floors,” he said, adding that a Far East food festival is among the other events that will follow.
Gulf Air Launches Bookshop in the Sky
BAHRAIN, 26 June 2004 — Gulf Air, which has been named winner of the excellence in quality improvement category of the 2004 Skytrax airline excellence awards — a survey of passenger attitudes toward airlines, hosted author Simon Kernick on board its recent flight from London to mark the launch of its “Bookshop in the Sky.” Its latest onboard innovation as an in-flight shopping service is the result of a partnership with Jashanmal & Sons and duty-free supplier and specialist, Aer Rianta. To be introduced initially on Gulf Air flights between Bahrain and London, the bookshop service will soon be available on all the airline’s long haul flights. The service will also feature screen interviews with authors.
Air Sahara Honors Top Agents
JEDDAH, 26 June 2004 — Air Sahara, India’s private airline, honored its top agents with awards at a ceremony hosted by its general sales agent Elaf Travel & Tourism at Alhamra Sofitel Hotel on Wednesday night. A.P. Singh, general manager for sales of the New Delhi-based Sahara Airlines Ltd., said Air Sahara now operated 123 flights daily to 23 destinations both in India and overseas. It operates 14 flights a week to Colombo and will soon open flights to Katmandu. It plans to increase its services to 140 daily to 29 destinations with 14,200 seats per day. “We’re also eyeing newer destinations like Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore. On code share terms with Cathay Pacific, we propose to operate to San Francisco,” he said. “Our unique ‘bid & win’ auction scheme during flights has won international recognition,” Singh said.
Qatar Summer Wonders Festival Set
DOHA, 26 June 2004 — A month-long Qatar Summer Wonders festival kicks off on Thursday. Its highlights include the internationally known Holiday on Ice extravaganza, a show that thrills audiences by innovatively combining theater, dance, opera, musicals and acrobatics with ice-skating. Exclusive to Qatar within the Middle East, this year’s Holiday on Ice will feature a production entitled ‘Celebration’ with evening and matinee performances throughout the summer festival. ‘Celebration’ is about the celebration of life and a fantasy exploration of the many different ways people around the world express their joy, aptly echoing the multicultural makeup of Qatar’s residents and visitors. The festival also includes a special exhibition organized by the Qatari Modern Art Gallery, a series of activities to highlight Qatar’s heritage and culture, being organized by National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage.
