London - Leading budget airline Ryanair said Monday the steep rise in the oil price had led to a 47-per-cent fall in net profits in the six months to the end of September.
The Irish carrier said net profits between April and September stood at 169 million pounds (277 million dollars).
Chief executive Michael O'Leary said he was confident the profits would recover if the oil price, currently at 80 US dollars a barrel, continued to fall.
"We have a significant cost advantage over our competitors many of whom have hedged fuel next year at significantly higher levels than current market prices," O'Leary said Monday.
London, November 3: British Airways staff have launched a scathing attack on passengers, whom they have branded "smelly and annoying" on a Facebook page created by "London Gatwick Ground Staff".
The staff’s hatred for travellers manifests itself in the comments on the Facebook page, which suggest that passengers put boarding passes in their mouths before handing them over at the departure gate.
While one staff member has slammed smelly passengers and celebrity fliers, another has criticised Americans.
Taipei - Beijing has agreed in principle to allow Taiwan airlines to fly over China to other countries, which will boost Taiwan airlines' international competitiveness, a newspaper reported Monday.
The Commercial Times, quoting an unnamed source, said that China has agreed in principle to approve Taiwan airlines' requests to fly over China's airspace en route to other countries, which will save time and fuel on flights to Europe.
If China grants the fly-over rights, or "first freedom rights," it could cut Taiwan airlines' routes to and from Europe by four hours.
Air passengers have to pay the transaction fees of Rs 350-10,000 per ticket for national and international flights from November 1. Indian domestic carriers such as Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have decided to levy this fee through travel agents. Air carriers are, at present, giving 5 percent commissions to agents which would be replaced by transaction fee from today onward.
London - Three people died today when a helicopter crashed in a field in Gloucestershire, the Air Accident Investigation Board said Saturday.
The private Gazelle helicopter came down and burst into flames near Langley Hill Farm in Winchcombe near Cheltenham, some 150 kilometres west of London, at about midday.
Witnesses said there was heavy fog at the time of the crash, but no cause for the crash could be determined as yet.
Rome - A consortium of private Italian investors on Friday made a binding offer to purchase the state's controlling stake in struggling airline Alitalia, according to a consortium statement cited in news reports.
The offer was presented to Alitalia's bankruptcy administrator, Augusto Fantozzi a few hours before a deadline at midnight local time (2300 GMT).
The bid came after talks between the Compagnia Aerea Italiana (Italian Air Company), or CAI, consortium, and unions representing Alitalia employees.
London, November 3: British Airways staff have launched a scathing attack on passengers, whom they have branded "smelly and annoying" on a Facebook page created by "London Gatwick Ground Staff".
Air passengers have to pay the transaction fees of Rs 350-10,000 per ticket for national and international flights from November 1. Indian domestic carriers such as Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have decided to levy this fee through travel agents. Air carriers are, at present, giving 5 percent commissions to agents which would be replaced by transaction fee from today onward. 
London - Three people died today when a helicopter crashed in a field in Gloucestershire, the Air Accident Investigation Board said Saturday.
Rome - A consortium of private Italian investors on Friday made a binding offer to purchase the state's controlling stake in struggling airline Alitalia, according to a consortium statement cited in news reports.
