Farnborough Airshow

Hi everybody,

Can you stay away from the blog? It seems I can't.

Just a reminder about one of the biggest airshows in the world Farnborough, which is taking place right now in England. Everybody is expecting Qatar Airways to announce a major order for new aircraft.

Let's wait and see. Until then, I think it's a good idea to find out more about the show and why it is that important in the aviation business.

Enjoy the videos.

They come from http://www.euronews.net/business/farnborough-airshow-2010/

Check the link for more information.

Regards and enjoy the show.

RV

End Of Course

Hello,

I am very pleased to announce that all students have done very well on the exam. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.

As you know, your final mark is acccumulative, which means both your mid-term exam and final exam will be added to your participation on the blog (homework mark), your attendance and mini quizzes.
I hope things will be clearer very soon.

Until then, one more thing I'd ask you to write on the blog.

Can you share your thoughts on how useful you consider the blog in your preparation for the exam? What areas do you think the blog has been useful or not?

Thank you for your comments in advance. They are important feedback in view of the future development and improvement to the AOM course.

Have a nice summer and do keep in touch.

Kind regards
RV

A Reply To a Letter of Complaint - Situation 3

Hello,

This is my last post to the blog for this course. I will leave the blog open during the summer for students to share their travelling experiences.

If you feel you are missing the blog and your classmates, keep writing on the blog. It will be nice if we keep in touch during the summer break.

Here is the last writing task.

You received a letter of complaint. Write a reply to the letter in which you provide an explanation of the security procedure.

This is the letter of complaint that you received.

Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to complain about the treatment I received at the hands of your airport security staff. First of all, when I was departing from the airport, the security attendant at the medal detector was very rude, and did not allow me to take my sunscreen lotion in my carry-on luggage. There was no explanation; she just took it from me.

Then, when I arrived back from my trip, I was thoroughly searched by customs, and it was an extremely embarrassing experience. They provided no explanation for why I was being searched. In fact, they were even more unfriendly than your security personnel. I was very insulted by the treatment I received in your airport, and I would like an explanation.

Sincerely,
Mr. Peter Codfrey

Some expressions you may decide to use:

provide an explanation
security staff/personnel
do a search at random
have the authority to perform/do a search
restrictions on liquids, gels, aerosols
not exceed 100 ml.

Looking forward to reading your final posts.

Regards,
RV

Dangerous Goods

Hello,

The last topic for this course is related to HAZARDOUS GOODS and RESTRICTED ITEMS.

Task 1

We first look at DANGEROUS and HAZARDOUS GOODS.

Check the Australian flag carrier website and answer the questions:

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/dangerous-goods/global/en

1. What are dangerous/hazardous goods? Provide a definition.

2. Describe each category listed in the diagram. Provide a short definition for the category.

3. Look at the guide to dangerous goods. You have 4 options:

a) permitted in as carry-on luggage

b) permitted in as checked luggage

c) permitted on one's person

d) the approval of QANTAS is required.

Answer the questions below with Yes, No or It depends. If the answer is 'It depends', provide more imformation so that it becomes clear on what it depends.

i) Can a passenger take his/her wheelchair?

ii) Can a passenger take spare batteries?

iii) Can a passenger take a packet of safety matches?

iv) Can a passenger take hair spray or perfume?

4. Check Qatar Airways website http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/carriageconditions.html#2.RighttoRefuseCarriage

Check article 9 Baggage.

Read article 9 on Items Unacceptable as Baggage and answer the questions:

i) if a passenger wants to transport an antique firearm, will he be allowed to do that?

ii) where does the airline recommend a passenger to include his/her jewellery, money, business documents, passport?

iii) what are the regulations related to the transportation of live animals?

5. Finally, The American Transportation Security Administration TSA

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

i) is sporting equipment allowed in the cabin?

ii) are replicas of fireworks or toy guns allowed on the plane?

iii) is ammunition permitted?

iv) are scissors allowed?

Regards,

RV

A Reply to a Letter of Complaint - situation 2

Hello,

Here is a second letter you received from an angry customer. Write a reply in which you provide an apology and an explanation. Write 150 words.

The letter reads:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to complain about the unkind treatment my grandfather received from your security staff last week. My grandfather is 82 years old, and he is not a threat to national security at his advanced age. Nevertheless, when the metal detector went off, security personnel at your airport did a complete search of his clothing, and even his shoes with a handheld detector.

He was very upset following this search (which found nothing), and said that he was very worried that he would have a heart attack right there in the airport. He also mentioned that the security attendant who did the search was very cold and rude, and did not give him any explanation for why he was being searched.

I do not understand why our elderly citizens have to be embarrassed and upset in this way.

Ms. Janet Barrington

Reply to a Letter of Complaint

Hello,
Imagine the following situation:

You work at the airport as a Customer Service Representative. You receive this letter of complaint from a customer. Reply to the letter in 150 words. Be courteous, apologise for the inconvenience and explain the procedure.

You can use some of the expressions below:

I apologise for .......
Please, accept my (our) apologies for ........
On behalf of customer service, I would like to .................
The reason why ......................................... is................
potential risk of an explosive device hidden in ..........................
This is part of the security measures in place in our airport.
to ensure the security
in the interest of all passengers

Here is the letter:
January 12, 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,

The other day I brought my 16 year-old daughter to your airport because she was flying to Sri Lanka for the first time by herself. I attempted to park in the drop off area so that I could help her get to the check-in desk with all her luggage.
I was told (in a very rude manner) that I could not stop there, and that I had to move my car immediately. Consequently, I had to leave my daughter there all by herself while I parked the car, and she was almost late for her flight. I would appreciate an explanation.

Sincerely,
Mr. Francois Lecavalier

Biometrics

AIRPORT MEASURES

Task 1

Check the guide to biometric technology on the bbc site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456993/html/default.stm

and brifly summarise in 30-40 words what biometrics is.

Task 2
Watch the video and answer the 3 questions below:

1. How does facial recognition work?

2. What can it be helpful for?

3. What happens to rejected passengers?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7568686.stm

Task 3

Choose 3 of the measures listed, research them on the internet and write a short description of how they work and what they are used for. You can also attach pictures.

surveillance cameras

sniffer dogs

security patrols

carry-on restrictions on liquids, gels, and aerosols

x-ray machines

full-body scanners

Task 4 - Homework

Check the article about security measures at Dubai airport and list the advice given to passengers.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/crime/dubai-airports-consider-use-of-face-recognition-cameras-1.650650

Regards,

RV

Reasons for Airport Security

Hello,

This week we are opening a new topic- Airport Security and will try to answer the question WHY IS AIRPORT SECURITY IMPORTANT IN GENERAL AND ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS?

In the meantime, can you please take a few seconds to do the poll and vote on what you consider the most important when you travel by air? Please, do not choose more than 2 answers. The voting closes tomorrow.

Airport Security

Airports and aircraft are attractive targets for terrorism and other acts of crime. Large number of people pass through airports, which means that there is a high concentration of people in a small area. At the same time large aircraft such as Airbus A380 can carry more than 500 people on board, so any attempt to blow up a plane has the potential to produce a high mortality rate.

On the other hand, incidents involving aircraft attract huge media interest, which can be used by terrorists to create fear. A hijacked plane is a 'flying bomb', explosive devices can be hidden in checked luggage causing the death of hundreds of innocent civilians.

Task 1
Find the meaning of the 8 words in red and provide a short definition for each one.

Check http://dictionary.reference.com/.

Task 2
1. Find out about some of the incidents invoving aircraft that changed the way airport security is viewed today.
2. What did these incidents lead to regarding airport security?
a) 9/11
b) 10/08/2006
c) 25/12/2009

Write three short paragraphs summarising briefly the incidents and what security measures were put in place as a result of that.

Task 3
Write a short text of 150 to summarise the topic and answer the question: Why is airport security important in general and especially today?

Regards,
RV

Doha airport - Advice to Passengers

Hello,

For homework, I'd like to draw your attention once again to a recently published article in the Gulf Times regarding advice to travellers via Doha airport this summer.



Go to the link and answer the question below:



http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=370176&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

What advice is given to passengers who are planning to travel via Doha airport this summer?
List the advice.

Regards,
RV

Baggage Handling System

Hello,
Task 1

A passenger who is checking in and who has had her luggage lost before asks:
"What happens to my bag after I check it in here? How does it get to the plane, and how can I be sure it will be there at the other end when I arrive?

Write an answer of 150-170 words that will reassure her.


Task 2


The second part of our lesson is about baggage regulations on Qatar Airways flights.

Go the link below and find the answers to the following questions.

http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/baggage.html



1. How much checked luggage can you take with you free of charge if you are travelling economy class?



2. What is the maximum weight of a checked bag economy class?



3. What are the ICAO recommendations regarding liquids, gels, aerosols in your hand luggage?Write a short paragraph in your own words.



4. Are there any restrictions regarding baby food? What about medication?



5. What is the percentage of baggage that is reclaimed by passengers following a flight?



6. What does a passenger have to do if a bag goes missing?



7. How do you understand the following words? Provide a short definition for each one.

transparent bag -

2 bags not exceeding 15 kg. -

carry-on allowance -

total capacity of -

bagagge claim -



Regards,

RV

Writing - Situation 1 Check in Procedure

Hello,

Task 1

Imagine you have received a letter by an elderly lady who has never flown before and doesn't know how to check in.

Explain to her the procedure of check in and suggest one type of check in that will be easy and convenient for her to do.

Post your answer here.

Organize in paragraphs. Write 150 words.

Task 2

View the short video explaining how to use the self-service kiosk in Copenhagen airport.

What are the advantages of this type of check in?

Write a short answer of 30-40 words.

Regards,

RV

Qatar Airways Flies To The Lands of Samba and Tango

Hello,
The text that follows comes from Qatar Airways press release from 27th June when QR made its first flight to the South American continent.
Read the text and find the answer to the question:

What are the reasons given for the carrier to fly to South America? (find at least three reasons)

Qatar Airways Makes Its South American Debut

Doha-Based Airline Launches Daily Flights To Brazil And Argentina
Carrier Enters Lands Of Samba And Tango With Services To Sao Paulo And Buenos Aires
Flagship Boeing 777-200 Long Range Aircraft Serves South America…
…With Convenient Connections To & From Asia Pacific, Middle East And Africa
27 June 2010

BRAZIL / ARGENTINA – Qatar Airways has celebrated yet another milestone in its short history with the launch of scheduled daily flights to Brazil and Argentina marking its foray into South America for the first time.

Brazil’s largest city Sao Paulo and the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires have joined the airline’s growing list of destinations, taking the Doha-based carrier’s global network up to 92 points served worldwide.

With the lands of samba and tango now in the airline’s network, it signals the latest step in Qatar Airways’ huge expansion drive with South America becoming the final piece in the airline’s global jigsaw that now covers six continents.

The two new routes complete a five-month expansion programme so far this year which has seen the airline introduce flights to Bengaluru (Bangalore), Copenhagen, Ankara, Tokyo and Barcelona.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker led a high profile delegation of dignitaries and international media from Asia and the Gulf region on the inaugural flight QR921 from Doha to Sao Paulo and onwards to Buenos Aires.

They included Brazil’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar, His Excellency Anuar Nahes and His Excellency Ruben Caro, Argentina’s Ambassador to Qatar.

Airport functions, featuring a cake-cutting ceremony and speeches, were held on arrival at both cities, attended by government, airport and business officials, together with local and international media.

Al Baker said it was an historic occasion for Qatar Airways that would further boost economic ties between Qatar and both Brazil and Argentina.

“Just 13 years ago, Qatar Airways embarked on an ambitious plan by launching an airline that would spread its wings far and wide and offer the highest levels of service and hospitality,” he said, speaking at arrival receptions at both airports.

“I am proud to say that we have achieved a remarkable feat, stretching our award-winning Five Star service to South America by serving both Brazil and Argentina, which takes our international network up to 92 destinations across six continents. This is indeed a momentous occasion for Qatar Airways and all our staff.

“I would like to thank the airport authorities and government agencies in both countries for helping Qatar Airways make today’s launch a reality.

“Both Brazil and Argentina share close ties with Qatar and with our new routes, we will only reinforce and strengthen the relationship we already share, boosting trade, commerce and tourism.”

Added Al Baker: “The timing of our new routes could not have been better and we are confident that entering the relatively untapped South American market will be a great success.

“With a large Lebanese and Japanese community living in Brazil, Argentina and neighbouring South American countries, the route is a perfect match for our business model, which carries passengers from East to West and vice versa via our Doha hub.”

During his speech, Al Baker congratulated both the Brazilian and Argentinian soccer teams for their qualification into the next round of the World Cup currently taking place in South Africa.

Qatar Airways is the only Five Star ranked airline operating between the Middle East and South America, and was recently elevated to the top three airlines in the world in the prestigious Skytrax global rankings.

The new South American flights offer excellent connections to and from key cities worldwide, across the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific via the airline’s Doha hub. These include Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, Beijing, Melbourne, Nairobi, Beirut, Dubai and Muscat.

During a four-month period starting in October 2010, Qatar Airways will expand its international route network further with six new routes, operating scheduled flights from Doha to Phuket, Hanoi, Nice, Brussels, Bucharest And Budapest.

Qatar Airways operates the Boeing 777-200 Long Range aircraft in a two-class configuration of 259 seats – 42 in Business and 217 in Economy Class – to Brazil and Argentina, offering arguably the most spacious aircraft of any airline flying between the Middle East and South America.

In Business Class, passengers are able to enjoy unprecedented comfort and space with a seat pitch of up to 78 inches, and each seat converting into 180-degree fully flat beds. With a 2–2–2 seat configuration, Business Class passengers are assured of either a window or aisle seat.

In Economy Class, seat space is above the industry average with a pitch of up to 34 inches offering significant leg room. The 3–3–3 seat configuration is the most spacious of any airline flying to South America from the Middle East.

By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to serve 120 key business and leisure destinations worldwide with a modern fleet of 120 aircraft. Today, the airline’s fleet stands at 84 aircraft, flying to destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and North and South America.


The Doha – Sao Paulo – Buenos Aires flight schedules (all in local times) are:

Depart Doha International Airport

QR921 DAILY at 0740 hrs, arrive Sao Paulo at 1555 hrs

Depart Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport

QR921 DAILY at 1740 hrs, arrive Buenos Aires at 2030 hrs

Depart Buenos Aires, Ezeiza International Airport

QR922 Daily at 2305 hrs, arrive Sao Paulo at 0155 hrs the following day

Depart Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport

QR922 DAILY at 0310 hrs, arrive Doha at 2310 hrs

Check-in

Hello,
Today we check Qatar Airways website to recycle the vocabulary we need and to research the topic.

TASK 1

Go to http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/check-in.html
check the information and fill in the 26 gaps. Write the words only in your post. Do not copy paste the words, but type them instead. This will help you remember their spelling.

Check-in

Qatar Airways offers the following tips to help speed your way to an on-time departure:

• 1. .................. your tickets and passport/visa documents handy.
  
• Report to the Qatar Airways check-in counter 2......................
• 3..................................the security checks, ensuring you are not bringing any 4...............items with you
  
• Proceed to our waiting lounge with tickets and passport readily 5......................for collection

•  6...........................................arrive at the airport at roughly three hours before departure. This may 7....................................depending on your airport of departure.

The check-in counter closes at least one hour 8........................departure, thus it is imperative that you arrive to check-in for your flight on-time. Under an hour, both the flight and baggage check-in are subject to closure. 9........................normally closes 20 minutes prior to departure. This could vary depending on your departure airport.

Qatar Airways 10..............................to provide quick & 11........................check-in. If passengers 12...............................any special assistance to their departure gates, we will be happy to 13...............................you to the gate. If your travel takes you through Doha, Qatar for a connection flight, you will be met by 14.............................to assist you with flight connections upon arrival in Doha.

Go to: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/360/virtual-tours.html?id=01

to view the virtual tour of the in-person check-in procedure.

Online check-in

Go to: http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/online-checkin.html

Find the window you can use to check in online.

At the bottom of the page you can select Online Check-in Demo. View the demo.

Now proceed with the gap fill.

Online Check-in
Available 36* hours before your flight 15.........................

Check-in 16..........................at qatarairways.com. This service allows you to check-in, 17................................your seat and print your 18..........................You can use this service from your home, office or anywhere you can 19.............................. Online check-in will 20..................you time spent 21..............................queuing at the airport.

You can Check-in online between 36* hours to 90 minutes before your flight departs.

*If you’re travelling to/from the United States you can check-in online between 24 hours to 90 minutes before your flight departs.

Check-in online in just 3 easy steps.

1.Use the Check-in search tool on this page
Select your departure airport and 22......................................
2.Choose your Seat
23...............................24............................seat up to 36 hours prior to departure.
3.25.............................your Boarding Pass
Print your boarding pass, send it to your 26........................................or to your email address.

TASK 2

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both ways of check in. In your opinion, which way do you think is best to check in and why? Write 70 words.

Regards,

RV

Benefits of electronic ticketing

Hello,
Here is the writing topic for the subject of Ticketing.

Discuss the following questions and post a text of 130-150 words.

• How does ticketing happen today?
• What is an electronic ticket? What information does it contain? How can you use an electronic ticket?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the e-ticket?
• What is the future of ticketing for airlines?

Post your answer.

Regards,

RV

Electronic ticketing

Hello,

We continue with ticketing. This is a task to help you research the topic before the writing task tomorrow.
Go to:
http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/legal.html

and check out the E-ticket FAQs and the General FAQs and answer the questions:

Electronic ticketing

1. What is an e-ticket?

2. How do I check-in using an e-ticket?

3. What are the benefits of e-tickets?

4. What forms of payment can I use to purchase an e-ticket?

5. Can I request an advance seat assignment when making my e-ticket reservation?

6. Are e-tickets available to all destinations?

7. Can I request an e-ticket if I am checking-in baggage?


Check-in

8. How soon before my flight should I check-in?


9. When does the check-in counter close?


10. When does the boarding gate close?


11. What if I fail to check-in on time?


12. Can I check-in online?


13. What are the benefits of checking-in online?


Post your answers.

Regards,
RV

Ticketing

Hello,

Here is the task:

A customer needs to travel to Manchester. He prefers to fly with either Qatar Airways or the Emirates. He is looking for the best offer in terms of air fare (price of ticket) and convenience of connecting flight (if he decides to travel with the Emirates via Dubai).

The passenger is travelling alone and would like to travel around the 26-27 July and return back around the 16-17 August.

Check the availability of flights to Manchester, check the prices of flights (often flying at the weekend is more expensive than during the week).

Use the reservation systems of the airlines:
http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/homepage.html
http://www.emirates.com/uk/english/

Post your suggestions and the possible itinerary ( the plan of the journey)of the flight.

Regards,
RV

Key vocabulary
to reserve - to book
reservation system - a computer reservation system that an airline uses to store all bookings
itinerary - a plan of the journey, a description of a passenger's travel plans, including all flights booked
air fare - the price of the ticket

Qatar Airways TV Commercial

Hello,
This is Qatar Airways TV commercial. View the commercial and discuss the questions below:
1. Do you like the commercial? What do you think is good/bad about it?
2. What do you think it tries to suggest about the product and service provided by Qatar Airways (QR)?

Regards,
RV

Customer Service

Hello,
Write you answer to the two questions below. Organize in paragraphs.

1) What is customer service and how important is customer service in the aviation business?

Use examples of good and bad customer service. Discuss some of the best airlines in the world and the quality of services they provide for their customers.

2) Discuss three rules that you consider extremely important for good customer service.

Regards,
RV

5-star airlines

Hello,

Today we are going to find out which are the best airlines rated by Skytrax for 2010.

1) Go to the official site of Skytrax (the 1st link on the right), browse the main page and look up the airlines that received 5 star ranking for 2010.

2) List them in your post, find their airline code and their main hub. Comment whether you have travelled with any of them and what your impressions of their product and service are.

3) Customer Service is broken down into the following criteria:

Service Efficiency

Enthusiasm, Attitute

Interaction with Passengers

Cabin Presence through Flight

Responding to Requests

Language Skills

Consistency among Staff

Personilisation fo Service for Business Travellers

Problem Solving

What do you think these criteria mean? In your opinion, how important are they for a superior customer service?

4) How would you rate Qatar Airways Staff using this framework? Give stars (from 1 -very poor to 5 stars - excellent)

Kind regards,

RV

2nd Term Imagining Passenger Experiences

Hello,
Well-done to all students who have passed their exams!

Happy Birthday to Ali! We wish him success in his studies and in his Ielts this week. Enjoy your birthday, Ali!

This term will be discussing the different stages of the passenger processing. We start today with passenger experiences.

Tell us about a time you have travelled by air. Write about any problems you have had at any step of the process before the flight.

Regards,RV

Good Luck

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR EXAM!

Please, use the comments option to tell me what you thought of the exam.

Regards,
RV

mid-term exams

Dear students,

Thank you today for your presentations. They were informative and very useful. We'll have a look again at them on Sunday when we'll also select the best one and discuss each presentation individually and make suggestions.

Until then it's exam time. Just a reminder for the students in Level 5 Maths, your exam is shifted to Sunday next week. Most students know about this already, I guess it might be only Maha who doesn't know. If somebody has her number, could you please let her know about the change.

Good luck tomorrow on your IT exam and good luck on Wednesday on your AOM exam.

If you have any questions about the exam, post them here. Use the comments option to ask your questions.


See you tomorrow and check the blog for older posts.

Regards,RV

AOM exam

Hello,

Time to think of the coming week and the upcoming exam on Wednesday.It's a good idea to start reviewing the material (if you haven't started already). As you know the topics to consider are:

1) What is an airport and its main facilities?
2) Who are the airport's main customers and what are the support services for them?
3) Trends in the aviation business.
4) Layouts of airports - centralized and decentralized and how the design affects the operation of the airport.
5) Ground transportation.
6) Terminals, concourses, gates, runways, taxiways and aprons.

Check all the writings we have done, take notes, review the definitions.

Another important thing is to make sure that your presentation is ready for tomorrow so we have time to make suggestions before Monday when all students will have to make their presentations as part of the course requirement.

See you tomorrow.

Regards,
RV

South Aftica World Cup 2010

Dear Students,

After our disappointing trip to the airport this morning, this video clip is to remind us that the world is playing/watching/talking football for the next month. Hundreds of thousands of tourists are expected to visit South Africa and airports have been investing billions of dollars to boost up their infrastructure.

Check the Johannesburg airport website for further information:
http://www.acsa.co.za/home.asp?pid=228


This is the official song of the World Cup 2010 Waka Waka performed by Shakira.

Enjoy it. Have a nice weekend!

Regards,RV

Emirates 'stuns' rivals with A380 order

Hello,

It's the Berlin Airshow and time for airlines to confirm presence, to place orders for new aircraft, to catch up with the latest technological advances on the market.

Read the article from yesterday on Today in the Sky (the link is on the right) and discuss what you think of it.

Jun 8 2010 10:01AM from USATODAY.com

Dubai-based carrier Emirates says it will order 32 more Airbus A380 superjumbojets. That would give the carrier -- already the world's largest A380 customer -- a whopping 90 A380s in its fleet by the end of 2017.
Business Traveller magazine says Emirates now accounts for "just under" 40% of the worldwide orders Airbus has received for the A380, the world's commercial passenger jet.
Reuters says Emirates' order -- valued at about $11.5 billion at list prices -- came as "a surprise opening to the Berlin Air Show."

"This is the single largest 380 order ever," Airbus CEO Tom Enders is quoted as saying by The Associated Press. He calls the order a "sign of confidence in the 380 and in Airbus."
So far, Airbus has delivered 10 A380s to Emirates. The carrier flies the jet in several different configurations depending on the length of the flight, according to Bloomberg News, which notes the jet "typically seats 525 passengers."
But, even with the prospect of having 90 of the superjumbojets in its fleet by the end of 2017, Emirates also is considering adding A380s that have an even larger seating capacity. Bloomberg writes "Emirates President Tim Clark said his airline would be interested in buying a stretched version of the A380 that can seat about 1,000 passengers, a model Airbus said it may consider building sometime in the future."

Reuters puts Emirates' latest order in perspective, noting the carrier "started in 1985 with two planes" but now "has grown to rival the likes of Qantas and Singapore Airlines for passenger traffic between Europe and east Asia." In fact, Emirates claims to have become the world's second-largest airline based on available seat miles, according to Business Traveller.
Reuters adds "the sheer size and scope of [today's] order stunned Emirates' global competitors." The news agency quotes Lufthansa CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber as saying: "It is already to many of us a miracle that Emirates now already has more seats on intercontinental routes than Air France and BA together with a relatively small home market. One must assume that this is not an investment for the UAE (United Arab Emirates), but it is an investment for the world."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on hand in Berlin to witness the signing ceremony. Aviation Week notes "Emirates placed the order at a time it is heavily lobbying Berlin for additional traffic rights to expand its network; a move Lufthansa is vehemently opposing."
Regardless, the order comes during a successful period for Emirates. Dow Jones writes that Emirates "in May posted a fivefold rise in full-year net profit to ($954 million) and said it expects double-digit growth to continue this year."
John Strickland, director of U.K.-based JLS Consulting, tells Dow Jones: "Emirates' strategy is obviously working well given their recent results, especially as carriers elsewhere are suffering. It's targeting a wide range of markets and is using the superjumbos to shift as many people as possible."

It sounds incredible! What do you think?

Regards,RV

Airport Design

Hello,

This is the penultimate (before the last) writing topic before the mid-term exam and it is about airport layout.

1. Before you write, research which are the 5-star airports in the world for 2010, rated by SKYTRAX
http://www.airlinequality.com/AirportRanking/5-Star.htm

and try to find out whether they are examples of centralized or decentralized airport.What are the ground transportation links provided at each one of the three 5-star airports?

2. Discuss the two modes of operation in terms of convenience for passengers and it terms of airport management.

Post your comments.

Regards,

RV

The building of Hong Kong's Airport

Airports in Europe

Hello,
Hope you've had a nice weekend and are ready for the week ahead. Here are the answers for the video extract about Airports in Europe.

P.S.
I tried to upload the programme we watched on Thursday about Hong Kong Airport but I couldn't. I guess the file is too big and takes ages to upload. Anyway, we are going to watch parts of the programme again tomorrow and look at the questions together. The film introduces the new topic - Ground Transportation. It also raises the very important issue of Accessibility of airports. But about this tomorrow.

Here are the answers as promised:

1. More than a billion passengers passed through the top 10 European airports in 2006.
2. The increase is 5 %.
3. The solution for the increased growth in passenger numbers is to increase efficiency.
4. The forecast for 2025 is 20 million flights per year and the challenge for airports would be how to accommodate all these flights.
5. In the future the biggest challenge for airports will be how to avoid congestion in airports.
6. Munich airport is the primary hub for Lufthansa, which has 120 aircraft at the airport. It is the 7th busiest airport in Europe and the fastest growing. In 2006, 31 million passengers passed through the airport – an increase of 7.5% from the previous year. The airport has personnel of 28,000 employees. A 3rd runway and a 3rd terminal were recently added.
7. Terminal 2 baggage handling system is 40 km long, it can handle 15,000 suitcases an hour. It is fully automated, a computer calculates the shortest route for each piece of baggage.
8. Successful interaction depends on coordination between airlines, crews, safety and security personnel, handling agents, engineers and caterers.
9. Wake turbulence is described as the 2 vortices from the tips of the wings during take off and landing.
10. The challenges faced by airports in the future will be how to accommodate such a huge aircraft. The aircraft’s huge dimensions will require a change in the airport design, support vehicles, 2 –deck configuration of the air bridges and bigger space for parking, to name just a few.

Regards,
RV

The Building of Hong Kong Airport

Hello,

We finish this week with an excellent documentary - a part of an American programme called 'Extreme Engineering' about the building and relocation of the new Hong Kong Airport (HKG), a project that is similar to the building of the new airport in Doha (NDIA) in some ways.

1. After watching the film, do you see any similarities between the two projects? Any differences?

Now try to answer the questions below:

2. What were some of the problems that the old Kai Tak airport experienced?

3. What is unusual about the location of the new airport? Describe its terminal building.

4. What means of transportation were considered in terms of accessibility of the airport? What are some examples of the extraordinary engineering work done related to the surface transportation?

5. How long did the process of construction of the airport take? What are some of the amazing achievements made in its construction and planning?

6. List some of the problems experienced the first months of its operation.

7. What is its reputation today?

I hope you enjoyed the programme and the task.

Have a nice weekend and check the blog for the task on the latest podcast about Bombardier. Later this weekend I am going to post the answers to the listening exercise on Airports in Europe.

Regards,

RV

Qatar Airways Fleet

Hello,

Today's podcast is about BOMBARDIER

http://www.qatarexec.com.qa/.

If most people can name the two biggest airliners - Airbus and Boeing, not many know about the Canadian airctaft manufacturer: Bombardier.

This is the topic of the podcast today.

As usual, the exercises are designed by the our guest teacher - Dreamliner.

Pre-listening research

Before you listen, try to find out the following:

1. how many aircraft (planes) Qatar Airways – including the cargo and executive jet divisions - has in its fleet (pool of aircraft) at the moment

2. are there any Bombardier planes in the fleet?

3. how many passengers the largest aircraft type can carry – and the smallest

4. how many aircraft Qatar Airways has on order but not yet delivered

5. the name of the animal in the airline’s logo

The first time you listen, note the following numbers:

6. the maximum number of Bombardier C-series Qatar Airways intends to order

7. the number of Boeing 787s that will be delivered to the airline next year

8. the number of planes in the airline’s fleet (does this match the number you found? why not?)

9. the number of destinations the airline will serve in three years’ time

10. how much the airline will be spending on new aircraft, in billions of dollars

The second time you listen, decide if these statements are true or false:

11. Qatar Airways will definitely be placing an order for the Bombardier jets in July.

12. It has been easy to reach an agreement with the manufacturer (plane maker).

13. Only two Boeing 787s were going to be delivered to Qatar Airways next year.

14. Al-Baker threatened Boeing last year.

Finally:

15. What or where is Farnborough (mentioned by Al-Baker)?

16. What is a Dreamliner (my user ID!)?

Post your comments.

Regards,

RV

Projects in the Middle East

Hello,

Today you will have some time to go back to some of the older posts and do the tasks that you may not have completed yet, and in particular the writing task on Trends in the Aviation Industry, the listening comprehension tasks about Airports in Europe and the New Doha International Airport Project.

For those of you who have completed the tasks mentioned above, you can research other airport projects in the Middle East.

Cairo Airport

Dubai Terminal 3

Abu Dhabi Terminal

Regards,

RV

NDIA New Doha International Airport

NDIA terminal buidling

New Doha International Airport

Hello,

We start today with one of the major projects of airport construction in the Middle East - the construction of the New Doha International Airport.

1) Summarise the information from the article you read in class and post your comments.

As the article is quite long, decide on the important information and organise your anwer well.

Write in paragraphs.

2) Check the website of the new airport project (there is a link on the right). What do you think of the website? Is it informative, easy to navigate and find the information you need? Summarise your opinion.

This is a short video taken from their site about the project in progress. Enjoy it!

Regards,

RV

TRENDS Airports in Europe

Hello again,

This is an episode from a series of programmes about airport operations and management. This episode is about airports in Europe. Watch it and aswer the questions below.

Enjoy it!

1. How many passengers passed through the top 100 European airports in 2006?

2. What was the increase from 2005?

3. What is the solution for the increased growth in passenger numbers? Is it by expanding the infrastructure only?

4. What are the projections (the forecast) for 2025 air traffic?

5. How many flights will not be able to be accommodated by the current infrastructure of the European airports?

6. What will be the biggest challenge for the European airports in the future?

7. What information is given about Munich airport? Write all the numbers given and what they refer to?

8. What information is given about Terminal 2 baggage handling system in Munich airport?

9. Efficient operation is based on successful interaction between the parties involved? Who are these people?

10. Air traffic controllers need to account for the wake turbulence created by planes when they take off or land. How is ‘wake turbulence’ explained?

11. What are the challenges faced by airports which want to accommodate the newest super jumbo of the skies – Airbus A380?

Regards,

RV

Week 3

Dear Students,
This is the beginning of Week 3 and time for new topics for discussions, new podcasts and exciting documentaries from the world of airports.
Let me also welcome Ali to the class blog and hope he will find the tasks interesting and stimulating.

I'd like to start today with a few questions for reflection first. Could you please post your answers to the questions as they will help me view the blog from the perspective of the student and guide me for the way ahead?

1) Do you find the blog useful, in what ways? How do you feel about the blog?
2) How often do you check the blog and the activities on it? When do you usually do that?
3) Which of the activities do you find most useful and why?
4) Are there activities that you don't find useful and why?
5) What do you think of the podcasts? How useful are they for you? In what ways do you find them useful or not?
6) Have you had any technical problems accessing the podcasts?
7) What suggestions or other comments would you like to make regarding the blog and the podcasts?

Thank you for your feedback.
Regards,RV

Airport Customers

Hello,

Discuss who are the main customers of an airport and what services and facilities these customers need.

Write in paragraphs.
Regards,
RV

Trends in the aviation industry

Hello,
This is the writing task for this week. Discuss how the aviation industry has changed in recent years. Consider any of the ideas mentioned below:

• passenger numbers


• aircraft design


• airport construction and expansion

Discuss what setbacks the aviation business has experienced recently and how you think the industry will develop in the future.
Write 100-120 words.

Post your draft.

Regards,

RV

Tokyo Airport

Hello,


Time for the second podcast prepared by the Dreamliner. This one is about one of the latest destinations added on Qatar Airways route map - Tokyo.



Here are the questions designed by our guest teacher.



1. Before you listen, find out what these expressions mean. Write a short definition for each one in your post:



a) destination

b) carrier (as in "national carrier')

c) route (noun)

d) expansion (what is the verb)

e) hub

e) feeder market



The first time you listen, answer the following questions:



2. Is this the first Qatar Airways destination in Japan?

3. Why was it an especially good time to launch (start) Tokyo flights?

4. Who is Akbar Al-Baker (what is his position at the airline)?

5. What does he say about Japanese people?



6. The second time you listen, listen for these numbers and write down why they are used:



802
thirteen and a half
89
4



The third time you listen, try to answer these questions:



7. Is Qatar Airways the only Gulf carrier to fly to Tokyo?

8. Did they apply for permission to fly to Tokyo recently?

9. Is the main purpose of the Tokyo flights to bring Japanese tourists to Qatar?



Research questions

Search for this information on the Internet. You can use wikipedia or Qatar Airways website.



10. The text mentions that Tokyo is the fourth new Qatar Airways route started in 2010. What are the other three new destinations?

11. Which three additional new routes will be opened in June?

12. Which other cities in the Far East does Qatar Airways serve?

13. Check Narita airport official website http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/. What do you think of their website? What information can you find about the airport on their website?



Post your comments.

Regards,RV

Britain's Gateway to the World

Hello again,

The task today is about Heathrow airport (LHR) - Britain's gateway to the world.

1. Why do you think it is Heathrow of all British airports that is considered Britain's gateway to the world?

Let's find out some facts about the airport. Check this site:

http://www.heathrowairport.com/portal/page/Heathrow%5EGeneral%5EOur+business+and+community%5EAbout+Heathrow/45d3c03b37932010VgnVCM100000147e120a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/

2. When was the airport opened?

3. How many passengers are processed through the airport every year?

4. How much cargo is handled through the airport annually?

5. How many runways does it operate? Are there any plans for new runways?

6. How many people are directly employed by the airport?

7. How many airlines and how many destinations does it serve?

8. Which airlines have chosen LHR as their main hub?

9. What are the economic benefits of Heathrow as a hub? You can find useful information on this site. Summarise your answer in a short paragraph.

http://www.futureheathrow.org/economic-benefits-page.php?id=37http://

10. How does the airport compare to three of the other major airports of Europe:

Frankfurt FRA, Paris CDG, Amsterdam Schipol AMS?

Send your posts.

And hope you fly to Heathrow soon!

Kind regards,

RV

Review of the week

Hello,

Time to recap on the work from the first week of the course.

1. The mini quiz

Six students have passed the quiz with results above 70%. The best result is Noora's - 91%. Well done, Noora!
The other students who have passed are Zahra, Aisha, Fatima, Noof and Fatma Abdulla. Well done to the girls!

The glove is thrown, gentlemen!

2. The result so far from the competition:
14 points : 10 points for the boys for the research on Airports
1 point to Zahra - for the best writing Task 1 on the blog
1 point to Fatma Abdulla- for the best answer to the podcast questions
1 point to Noora - for the best test result

The result so far is:
14: 13 for the boys
The competition continues with more exciting tasks for this week.

Regards from the jury,
RV

Doha Airport

Hello,

Today's lesson is about Doha International Airport and its customers. You'll find out which airlines have scheduled flights to and from the airport. You'll also read reviews of what some customers of the airport think of the facilities and services provided.

Here are the tasks.
1. Check the official Doha airport website: http://www.dohaairport.com/. Find out the customers of the airport. You can find them through Schedules.
2. How many airlines are listed? Give examples of passenger airlines, air-freight companies, regional airlines, budget airlines. Find their airport codes.
3. Check the services that are provided at Doha airport and list some of them.
4. How would you rate the airport in the following areas? Give 5 for excellent to 1 for very poor.

• website
• ground transportation (parking facilities, buses, taxis)
• arrival/departure/transit areas
• security and immigration
• terminal comfort
• food and beverages
• shopping facilities

5. Now check how other passengers rank the airport. Go to Skytrax website http://www.airlinequality.com/. Read customers' comments. How similar or different are other customers' comments from your own?

Post your comments.

Regards,
RV

feedback week 1

Dear Students,

It's the end of the first week of your course. During this week, we managed to set up a class blog, sign up for the blog, do our first writing task on what is an airport and some of its support services and listen to the first episode of a series of podcasts provided by our guest teacher.

I would like to thank all students who actively participated on the blog and in particular Zahra for the best writing task, Fatma for the best answer to the podcast task and Noora and Fahad for their answers to the podcast questions as well.

I'd like to mention Ali and Khalid as well, but would like to discourage them and other students who post the same answers on the blog. It is particularly easy to copy paste answers on a computer, but it is also apparently obvious when two answers are the same.

Please, continue to do the tasks, work together if you need, but write your own answers.

As for next week, a lot more on the blog, new podcasts are already recorded. Next week two airports will be in focus - Hong Kong airport (HKG), an amazing engineering project, the biggest construction of airport infrastructure of the 20th century and London Heathow airport (LHR)- the 3rd busiest airport in the world and the oldest airport in Europe. We'll be also looking at Qatar Airways (QR) and its expansion plans and its latest destinations.

So, check the blog regularly for updates and post your opinions and thoughts.

See you tomorrow.
RV

Incheon Airport

Dear Students,

This is the first podcast from a series of podcasts about aviation. This podcast is about one of the best airports voted by passengers around the world. The podcast and the questions that follow are prepared by our guest teacher - Dreamliner.

Listen to the podcast on the sidebar and complete the tasks below.

Glossary
You may hear these expressions as you listen. These definitions should help you.

put sb. to shame - embarrass

consecutive – one after the other
ranked – put in order

boost – improve
consolidate – strengthen

draws (vb.) – attracts
competitive edge – winning formula

automated – done by machine/computer
innovations – new technology

The first time you listen, try to answer these questions:

1. Which city does Incheon serve?

2. For how many years now has Incheon been voted the best airport in the world?

3. How many passengers transit through Incheon each year?

The second time you listen:

4. What are the main reasons that Incheon is rated so highly?

5. How is luggage handling at Incheon different from Narita and Pudong airports?

Research:

6. Find out which cities Narita and Pudong serve.

7. Find out Incheon’s IATA code. What is Doha’s?

8. Log on to Skytrax’s site (http://www.airlinequality.com/) and go to Airport Reviews. Incheon is listed under “S”. Can you find it? Read passengers’ comments and make a note of some of the things they like about the airport.

9. Which two other airports receive a 5-star rating from Skytrax? Where are they?

Post your comments,

RV

Airport Trip

Dear Students,

The trip is scheduled for Thursday 10th June, 2010 from 7:30am to 10am. The college will organize transportation to the airport and back to the college.

1. All students who do not have college IDs will have to bring one photo for their ID first, so the college can issue their cards as soon as possible. Students will need a college ID card to apply for the airport pass.

2. For the trip, students need:
a) if you are Qatari, you need
· copy of your college ID, your ID card and 1 passport-sized photograph.
b) if your nationality is not Qatari, you need:
· copy of your college ID, your ID card, your passport copy, your visa copy, 2 photographs
· copy of your sponsor’s passport, ID and visa.

The ladies will need to have a letter provided by the college and signed by their guardian which states that there is no objection to this trip on the part of their parents.

I hope I can collect all the necessary documents as soon as possible, so we can apply to the airport for the passes.

Kind regards,
RV

welcome everybody to see my photos

http://flickr.com/qttr

Important Aviation Organisations

Hello,

Time for some acronyms.

What are the these entities and what are they responsible for?

Post your comments.

Regards,

ralitza

what is an airport

Hello,

This is our first writing task. Please write your comments on the questions:

• What is an airport?


• In your opinion, what is the most important role of an airport nowadays?


• What are some of the support services that an airport provides for its customers and why is this important?

Organise your answer in paragraphs. Try to incorporate the vocabulary you studied in the first chapter.

Looking forward to reading your answers.

Ralitza

Terms of Use

Dear Students,

Before we start taking an active part in our blog I’d like to ask you to consider the following rules of use of the blog. This will ensure the educational benefits of the blog and we’ll help us become better writers and bloggers.

1. Always treat people on the blog with respect. If you want to disagree with someone’s opinion, you can do that in a polite way and still state what you think. Never be offensive or disrespectful.
2. Don’t use Arabic on the blog. This blog is designed to help students improve their writing in English.
3. Check your post for spelling and grammar errors. Consider carefully the choice of words you use. If you need help, consult your teacher, a dictionary or the spell check on the computer.
4. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. This is a learning process, we learn from mistakes, we can learn from other students on the blog, we can learn from each other.
5. Keep your posts related to the subjects we discuss in class. This means you shouldn’t discuss your plans for the weekend or any personal issues unrelated to the course or its objectives.
6. When you finish using the computers in the language lab at the end of the day, make sure that you have signed out, turn off the computers, leave your chair and the room in a tidy manner.

Please post a comment if you’d like to add any other ideas or comments on this post and state whether you agree with the terms of use.

I agree with the terms of use.

blog and podcast

Hello good evening.....
My answers to your questions miss Ralitza are:

1. blog is a web page where you can discuss with your freind about different topics.
2. podcast are media files that you can download them from the Internet.

يالله حي اخوان شما وعفرا وميثه

welcoming message

Dear Students,

Welcome to the AOM course!

I am glad to welcome you to this online platform as well, a place where we can exchange ideas, keep up to date with what is happening in the world of aviation, download materials, create podcasts or put simply get engaged with what we'll be studying.

On this project, I'll be working with a fellow teacher with interest in technology and enthusiasm for aviation.

So, let's begin with 2 questions:

1. What is a blog?

2. What is a podcast?

I hope to read your comments soon.

Kind regards,

ralitza