Transportation

GOCC is a seamless cooperation between THAI's four Business Units; the Ground Customer Services, Catering, Ground Support Equipment Services and Cargo & Mail Commercial Departments.

''The public is already suffering from the rising cost of living. The fare hike would be another big blow. So this is how the BMTA can help,'' he said.

Mr. Kittiphong, GM Thai Airways while speaking to media last evening said: The total travel time with this flight pattern from Karachi to Tokyo including transit time in Bangkok is 12 hours and 5 minutes with only one intermediate stop in Bangkok for transit. Lahore passenger can benefit from the service in the same flight pattern from Lahore.

The SRT will offer 50 percent discount on all second and third class tickets to encourage as many people as possible to cast their vote on Dec. 23, Pairat Rojcharoen-ngarm, an SRT public relations official said.

Meanwhile Udom Tantiprasongchai, chairman of Orient Thai Airlines, said the reopening of Don Mueang airport for international flights would be senseless if the government wanted to solve problems prevailing at Suvarnabhumi Airport, located in Bangkok's neighboring province of Samut Prakan, because the latter had now been in service for slightly more than a year. He said expansion at Suvarnabhumi Airport could easily be carried out if the government claimed the airport was over-crowded.

He claimed the proposal to return flights to Don Muang was not the AoT's way of resolving the noise pollution problem around the airport. Noise pollution has been one of the AoT's major headaches following complaints by scores of residents near the airport. The AoT has disbursed financial compensation to some of those affected by the problem but it is far from being resolved.

The Amritsar-Delhi-Birmingham-Toronto, Delhi-Abu Dhabi- Muscat, Delhi-Bangkok-Shanghai, Delhi-London-New York and Delhi-Dubai flights were delayed by five to 24 hours due to technical difficulties, shortage of pilots and flight duty time limitation.

The national air carrier has hinted that it could soon increase fuel surcharges by 3-4 percent starting January 2008.

Two weekly flights will likewise be added between Manila and Melbourne/Sydney starting Nov. 26, raising the total frequency to Australia to five times a week.

He said the airline's Premium Economy would offer: - a brand new 19.5 inch wide seat; - generous seat recline and leg room (up to 40 inch pitch); - 8.4 inch in-arm touch screen video monitor; - Neil Perry inspired menu with premium wines; - ergonomic cushioning and an adjustable headrest; and - noise cancelling headsets.

The operator of both airports, AOT is in the process of finalising guidelines to resume operations at Don Mueang and plans to meet with international airlines on November 26 to discuss the move.  Several airlines have reportedly voiced their opposition to the move, saying dual airports would only be efficient with good transport links.

Flight TG415, which left the Thai capital at 9 a.m. local time, landed in the southern Thai city of Hat Yai an hour after takeoff.

chinapost.com

"It's the first undesirable incident since BTS has operated the skytrain service over tha past six years," Dr. Anat Arbhabhirama, advisor of the company's board of directos, told journalists.

Officials in India said quick reaction police teams, armed with light machineguns, were on guard at various airports and plainclothes policemen were mingling with passengers to check for suspicious characters. "No hand baggage will be allowed on select flights to some Western destinations," said an officer of the Central Industrial Security Force, the agency responsible for the security of Indian airports.