Budget AirAsia comes to the Philippines
Malaysian budget airline AirAsia is starting flights to the Philippines. From April 5, it will operate daily flights between Manila's Clark Airport and two Malaysian cities - the capital Kuala Lumpur (four hours' flight) and the resort Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah (two hours).
This is the first budget airline to come to the Philippines. To mark the launch of flights, Air Asia is offering promotional fares on some routes: 119 Malaysian ringgit (1,799 Philippine pesos, about $33) to Kota Kinabalu and 129 ringgit (1,949 pesos, about $36) to Kuala Lumpur.
Royal Jordanian includes departure tax in tickets
Jordanian airline Royal Jordanian has decided to include the so-called "departure tax" in the price of airline tickets. This tax is mandatory for everyone leaving the kingdom. Currently, the tax amounts to 5 Jordanian dinars ($8). The tax is paid at a separate counter before passport control, and without a receipt of payment, leaving the country is prohibited.
The problem is that information about this tax is practically unavailable to those who visit Jordan not as part of an organized tour. There are frequent cases when travelers find themselves in a rather unpleasant situation: all their money has already been spent and there is nothing to pay the tax with. And without paying the tax, leaving the country is impossible.
Apparently, it is precisely to avoid such situations that the airline's management decided to include this tax in the ticket price. From April 1, the five dinars of tax will be included in the ticket price. Some airlines operating flights to Beirut have taken the same path earlier. As for the airport fee at Damascus airport (about $4), it will still be paid separately.
In addition, the price of tickets for Jordanian airline flights is increasing on its own, regardless of the inclusion of the departure tax in their price. Recently, there has been a significant increase in aviation fuel prices, as a result of which another "fuel surcharge" was added to the existing ticket prices. The cost of tickets for group travel was also noticeably increased.
British Airways increases fuel taxes
British Airways is forced to once again increase additional fuel taxes to cover the high cost of aviation kerosene caused by record crude oil prices. Company representatives said that due to the tax increase, the cost of one long-haul flight per passenger will increase by an average of 16 euros, while short-haul flights will see a rise of 6 euros.
"Our fuel costs, according to analysts' forecasts, will increase by 300 million euros next year. Prices continue to rise, so an increase in the additional tax is unfortunately inevitable in the future," the company says. The company's fuel costs are expected to rise from 1.1 to 1.4 billion euros in the next financial year.
The airline had already introduced the additional fuel tax in May 2004, increased it in August, and again in October. The latest increase applies to all tickets ordered after March 28. British Airways' tax increase followed price increases at Virgin Atlantic, its main competitor on transatlantic routes.
Asian airports recognized as the best in the world
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airports Council International (ACI) have published the results of a study designed to determine the best airports in the world. The top three places went to Asian airports - Hong Kong, Seoul (Incheon Airport), and Singapore.
The best in Europe was named Copenhagen Airport, in Africa and the Middle East - Dubai Airport, in the Americas - Halifax Airport. The latter was also recognized as the world's best airport for domestic routes. The study, conducted last year, covered 40 of the world's largest airports. Respondents, numbering 65,000, were asked to rate the airports according to 31 criteria.