business travel

Arab carriers should focus on efficiency and commercial freedom - IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called upon Middle East and North Africa (MENA) airlines to focus on an agenda of efficiency and expanding commercial freedom.

"The oil price is falling, but what we save in fuel, we lose in revenue.

This industry will lose US$5.2 billion this year. Even the Middle East is not immune.

The region's carriers posted 18.1% traffic growth in 2007. This year, August growth plummeted to 4.3%," said IATA Director General and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, at the Annual General Meeting of the Arab Air Carriers Association (AACA).

"Profits of Middle East carriers will fall from US$300 million in 2007 to a US$200 million this year. Only a handful of carriers will be profitable, while the majority bleed red ink.

The region's fleet is set to double to 1,300 aircraft over the next decade as we enter a period of global economic uncertainty.

The challenge of matching capacity to demand will be difficult," said Bisignani.

Bisignani urged the region to adopt an agenda focused on efficiency-Simplifying the Business, fuel and infrastructure-and expanding commercial freedom.

"The industry crisis highlights the need for change. MENA has some great advantages-strong oil economies, top-notch infrastructure and fuel-efficient fleets.

The crisis is a turning point. We must deliver significant change with efficiency and commercial freedom.

If we can do that, I am confident that we can weather this perfect storm and emerge as a stronger and more profitable industry," said Bisignani.

India, a large market for Lanka's tourist industry - Milinda Moragoda

Minister of Tourism Milinda Moragoda met the Leader of the Opposition of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu in his office with senior officials.

Chandrababu Naidu is also the founder of Heritage Foods and is currently the president of Telugu Desam Party, the second largest legislative party in Andhra Pradesh.

The two held bilateral discussions which focused on cultural, economic and tourism issues.

They agreed that further meetings between their officials should be held to pursue a number of areas of mutual interest.

Minister Moragoda outlined the measures taken by Sri Lanka to develop the tourism sector, with private-public sector partnerships. India he said is one of the largest markets for Sri Lanka's tourist industry, providing around 20% of visitor arrivals.

The promotional efforts by Sri Lanka have also included the Conventions Bureau successfully approaching several leading Indian Companies to encourage them to hold their meetings and other business related gatherings in Sri Lanka.

The Tourism Ministry has encouraged contacts between the State level tourism administrations in India further strengthening collaboration in the field of tourism between their two countries. Minister Moragoda met Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the Indian state of Gujarat also on his recent visit to India.

Earlier, the Ministry delegation had a bilateral agreement with the Kerala State in the southern part of India, on the Ramayanaya Promotion.

Italian menu echoes at Cinnamon Grand

Cinnamon Grand's popular Italian restaurant Echo has introduced a new menu to further enhance its delightful Italian offerings. The new Echo Menu symbolises a stronger focus on staying true to its Italian roots while still allowing for a degree of personalisation in dishes.

The menu combines a variety of pasta, risotto, anti pasti, fish, meat and pizza dishes with a vastly expanded vegetarian selection, Italian desserts and a fine selection of Italian wines.

Italian cuisine stretches back into antiquity, with its roots traced back to 4th century BC, varying by ingredients and dishes according to region. Echo's new menu stays true to these roots and incorporates its dishes from the most Italian regions including Sardinia, Campania and Tuscany.

"Our first priority with Echo's new menu was to keep it simply and purely Italian," said Italian Chef Sgroi Giuseppe.

Chef Giuseppe, known for his winsome smile and cheery disposition took customer feedback very seriously when planning the new menu. "Increasing our range of vegetarian dishes was another concern," he said.

"We hope dishes such as Parmigiana Di Melanzane (Baked layered eggplant with fresh tomato, basil, mozzarella and parmesan cheese), Lasagna Alle Verdure (Vegetable lasagna) and other vegetarian dishes represent our dedication to diversifying Echo's menu."

Hilton Colombo Kottu Fest on Nov 9

Hilton Colombo plans to treat its guests again to a scrumptious evening to enjoy some of the best Kottu in Colombo following the massive success of their 2,100kg of Kottu Fiesta.

The Kottu Fest will be held on November 9 at the Hilton Colombo's Sports Centre Car Park. There will be special offers for the Kottu Fest.

Over 100 chefs have been assigned to undertake this spectacular fiesta.

Entertainment for the Kottu Fest will be provided by Daddy, Channa's Dance Troupe, Iraj and the Elephant Foot Drummers from Hikkaduwa.

Apart from chicken and vegetable kottu, the Fest will also have a number of beverage, dessert and snack stalls.

The Kottu Fest is in partnership with Mobitel and Maxies, while the event is supported by Sri Lanka Tourism in a bid to promote authentic experiences in Sri Lanka.

SriLankan goes Green

SriLankan Airlines has launched a series of long-term initiatives aimed at safeguarding the environment and emphasizing its commitment to conservation.

SriLankan has begun discussions with the Environmental Unit of International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global aviation industry's governing body, to exchange the latest information and developments on aviation related environment issues.

SriLankan is also participating in IATA's current survey on Environment Management Systems Among Airlines.

The National Carrier is formulating a comprehensive Environmental Policy which will govern the company's impact on the environment around the world. A special Environmental Team will be appointed shortly to drive the airline's efforts in the area of conservation.

Chief Executive Officer, Manoj Gunawardena said, "The global airline industry is increasingly moving towards minimising its impact on the environment and IATA is driving various initiatives in this area. SriLankan Airlines already has a large number of environmental safeguards, and we are now putting in place a formal mechanism to guide and govern all the company's activities in this regard."

A Comparative Study has already been carried out by SriLankan on current environmental initiatives of several other major airlines.