EAST HARTFORD, Conn. and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, June 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – The Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC), a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney’s parent company United Technologies Corporation (NYSE: UTX), Saudi Arabian Airlines, Mohawearean Aviation Services Company and MTU Aero Engines has opened a new aircraft-engine maintenance facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to handle increasing needs for maintenance and repair of military aircraft engines in the region. Continue reading →

Dubai, prospering from near-record oil prices, plans to invest $20 billion to create a company that will lease planes, develop airports and make aircraft parts to tap into growing demand for air travel in the Middle East and Asia. The family ruled emirate, which owns the largest Arab airline, may buy as many as 50 wide-body aircraft from Boeing and Airbus in the next four years, said Rashid Al-Malik, project director for the planned company, which will be called Dubai Aerospace. “It’s not surprising Dubai is moving into these activities because the whole focus of the aerospace industry has shifted eastward in recent years,” said Doug McVitie, managing director of Arran Aerospace, a forecasting company in France.

Mr. Al-Malik said Middle Eastern governments including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar had ordered as many as 300 aircraft for delivery in the next five years and Dubai Aerospace would order its first this year.

The Dubai Government at the weekend announced the formation of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise as a holding company with six operating subsidiaries.

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise will be chaired by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, chairman of the Emirates airline group and president of the Dubai department of civil aviation.

Dubai’s ambitious foray into the aerospace industry will build on the presence the emirate has already established in the aviation sector through the development of Dubai international airport and the rapid expansion of Emirates into one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines.

The business concept here is to create a new hub for aviation, from the leasing and maintenance of planes to training personnel at a new university to operating other airports and even manufacturing aircraft. It clearly makes excellent business sense to lever off Emirates position as a major buyer of aircraft to promote the Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to the aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus.

There are a variety of options open to you for air transport. You will find that these options are very versatile in several ways. They all use the principles of flying and they also allow for some of the most amazing types of air transport out there. Getting around has never been grander. More and more people are taking advantage of flying in various air transport mechanisms.

While just a decade ago many people would tell you that they had not had the opportunity to be in any sort of air transport, now they will tell you differently. Air transport has become an important part of life and life’s adventures.

Air transport is capable of many things. While we think of airplanes as transportation for people to get back and forth, we also know that it is a way of flying all sorts of equipment and supplies from place to place as well. But, do you realize the large part that air transport plays in protection? What about in health related cases when air transport is the only way to get the patient to the doctor in time to save his or her life? Do you realize the importance of air transport in military expeditions? In fact, air transport is necessary for trade from country to country over huge seas of water as well.

But, for the most part, people think of airplanes as their main use of air transport during their lives. Now, it is possible to take a plane to virtually any place in the world that you wish to go. Some of them even have beds in the seats to allow passengers of overnight flights to get a little more comfortable as they enjoy their long journey. Some air transports aren’t as glamorous but they provide services that we all need.

There are many finer things in life, things that only the rich and famous get to experience. For most of us, we miss out on the ‘best’ experiences in life due to lack of money or popularity. I used to think that a charter flight was a luxury that I, as a common person, would have to do without and simply be left wondering about. That isn’t the case. I recently began taking a charter flight to different functions and for trips, and I’ve learned that they are just as great as I had always imagined and that they are reasonable even for the common man.

I will be honest, I have always had opinions about people who were wealthy enough to have a charter flight to any vacation or event of their choice without thinking twice about it. Recently, however, a friend of mine booked a charter flight for six of our friends who were wanting to get away to the mountains for a long weekend. I thought she was crazy when she said that she had gotten a reasonable deal on a charter flight.

There are many types of charter flights I have learned, and they are not all as glamorous as I onced imagined. For example, I have friends who vacation in Mexico each year and they use a charter flight each time. For them, a charter flight simply means a non-stop flight on an airline that isn’t a mainstream big name that we often hear about. They do not have to mess with layovers at random airlines, but their charter flight goes directly from their hometown airport to the airport at their destination city.

Finding a charter flight doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it can be quite easy. Get ahold of a travel agent and see what they have to say about booking a charter flight, or get online and see what you can learn about the benefits of a charter flight. In my opinion, they are much easier than regular commercial flights and they are much more comfortable as well.

A charter flight is in fact one of life’s finer things. It is not, however, reserved only for the rich and famous. You and almost everyone you know could benefit by learning the truth about a charter flight and then booking one for your next trip or vacation. I assure you that you’ll be glad you did. And you may never go back to regular commercial flights.

The invention of flight by the Wright brothers has brought about a revolution in the world. The concept of speed and distance started changing. The impossible started looking possible. The perfect combination of strength, weight, and carrying capacity has been experimented and finally achieved.

The airplanes were previously called “Kites”! They did not have much power and were supplied with a lot of wing area. The streamlined aircrafts came up just before the World War I. they has cleaner aerodynamic shapes and had increased horsepower. During the First World War, the traditional wooden frames were replaced by welded steel tubing. Duraluminum was used to prepare all the assembly-wings, fuselage and tail of the flight.

Slowly metal was used to replace the use of wood in preparing the body of the flight. The revolutionary Boeing 247 combined the streamlined all-metal semi-monocoque construction, retractable landing and variable pitch propellers. Whenever there is a war, the nation tries to utilize the best technology. During World War 2, the jet fighter was developed. An all-composite design was appreciated during 1980s. The flight design by Brut Rutan made history by flying non-stop around the world without refueling.

The Voyager’s composite airframe was lightweight and circled the earth in nine days. Not only for transporting people from place to place, certain space shuttle is prepared for space flight. The various mechanical flights include aircraft, aeroplanes, helicopters, airships, balloons and spacecraft. Flying an aeroplane is no easy task. It involves various methods like taxiing; take off, climb, cruise, descent, flight planning, and landing. Some of the early flight pioneers were Abbas Ibn Firnas, Amelia Earhart, Alberto Santos Dumont, Armen Firman, Charles Lindbergh, Richard Pearse and ultimately the Wright Brothers.

A taxiway is used for flights to move from one place to another with the help of wheels, within the airport. The process when the flight, after gathering speed from the runway, leaves the ground and flies into the air is called takeoff. For light flights, usually full power is used. Climb involves getting the flight into the desired cruising altitude. Cruise involved changing the direction of the flight. The landing of the flight by decreasing its altitude is known as descent of a flight. Flight planning is an essential part in both private and commercial flights. Landing the flight to ground level is the ultimate part of safely handling a flight.

A fearful flyer who is about to board a plane doesn’t usually remember a single fact or figure about the safety of air travel. That fearful flyer is more concerned about whether they can get on the plane without having a nervous breakdown and desperately wanting to know they’ll make it safely to their destination so they can get back OFF the plane.

That’s what happens to me when I’m boarding a plane. I’m wild-eyed, desperate, panicky and not listening to any reasonable thing my flying companion is telling me. When I’m boarding a plane I need a cheat sheet; a quick reference guide of simple statements that I know to be true but am unable to think of on my own. Here are some from my personal list:

1. There are millions of people on thousands of flights EVERY DAY that are very routine and never make the news.
2. The plane was designed to be in the air, that’s where it performs best.
3. Air is a thick fluid, a lot like jello. The plane is being supported by big columns of “jello air”. It has substance even though I can’t see it.
4. Turbulence in a plane is like being in a car going over a bump in the road. It doesn’t hurt the plane. The wings will not fall off.
5. The plane is designed to handle more stress than any normal flying situation will deliver.
6. The pilots and flight crew do this every day, the sky is their office, they are professionals.
7. The pilots go through extensive repetitive training for every possible situation, even ones I haven’t thought of.
8. The plane has many backup systems and is capable of flying safely with several systems not functions perfectly.
9. The sounds I hear are normal and mean the plane is functioning correctly.
10. This flight will not last forever, I will get through it one minute at a time and then I will enjoy my destination.

Sometimes one statement has more meaning than another, it depends on which fear is bothering me the most. It can help to repeat the important points over and over. Focus on them. Make them real. I imagine myself as the pilot just going to his job; a job that he worked hard for, he dearly loves and cares deeply about. He loves to fly, and he’s going to deliver me to my destination and then turn around and take more people to their destination. I am just one of millions of people that will fly today.

Repeating these statements over and over helps me to come back to reality and out of my fog of fear. Your top 10 statements may be different. Some of them may be the same. As a fellow fearful flyer I know how hard it is to remember the facts that gave you comfort while in your living room. That’s why I’m always sure to take my cheat sheet of power statements with me on every flight.

Are you currently looking for a place online where you find a cheap flight to Amsterdam? If so, just don’t worry. There are actually a lot of portals out there on the web that could give you a cheap flight to Amsterdam. All you need to do now is to carefully choose the right portal for you as there are a lot of them. Try to consider their offers, including the reliability of their booking service. If possible, you should also try to note of the security of the chosen airline. So, if you are now ready to know the most well-known booking services online for a cheap flight to Amsterdam, then here they are:

Expedia.co.uk

Expedia.co.uk actually allows you to plan your perfect trip to Amsterdam and book a cheap flight to Amsterdam online. This site currently holds the latest and best flight deals on flights to Amsterdam, bargain airfares, airline tickets and flight deals with all the leading airlines. If in the end you decided to book your cheap flight to Amsterdam through the service of Expedia.co.uk, all you need to do is just to use the booking engine that they have given on their page or select from a choice of departing airports.

LastMinute.com

LastMinute.com is but another notable site where you can find a cheap flight to Amsterdam. As commonly noted, LastMinute.com always has a good flight deals for you whether a charter flight, first class seating or good old economy class. So, there is no reason for you not to book a flight to Amsterdam with their service. They in fact offer loads of discounted flights to the city. All you need to do is to simply employ their search box to book the cheapest flight available.

OnlineTravel.com

OnlineTravel.com generally allows you to compare discounted international airfares from more than 500 airlines. They currently feature their easy to use flight search engine that lets you choose your flight options, choose whatever flight you preferred from their clearly displayed list of available cheap flights to Amsterdam, or book a particular cheap flight to Amsterdam quickly and securely. Furthermore, OnlineTravel.com offers a Fare Finder that allows you to check and find the cheapest fares for your flight. Note that there are always flight bargains to be had on Amsterdam flights, so if you are interested, just look for their saver fare logo for special fares if you can be flexible on departure date. Several other services that you must check out are provided by OnlineTravel.com.

SkyScanner.net

At SkyScanner.net, the best deals on the cheap flight to Amsterdam can be found by way of using their search controls presented on their website. With this tool, you can select your departure airport and set Amsterdam as your destination. The exact month you wish or scheduled to travel is also needed. If all the necessary details are given, the service will find the airline tickets for your holiday, business trip or weekend break flights to the city of Amsterdam. And, if you wish to find more about the available flight deals, you are free to try their travel information pages.

You can have a cheap flight to Amsterdam.

There are ways to find air travel cheap. The first thing to do is invest some time in research. If you call a travel agent they will offer you a fare that might seem reasonable but it’s important to remember that the agent has to make money and therefore they normally need to charge service fees.

Taking a vacation is always a welcome thing. The cost of the airline tickets isn’t nearly as entertaining.

Another point to consider when you are searching for air travel cheap is last minute deals. Many airlines offer very good fares a day or two before the day of the flight. The reason is that they want the airplane to be as full as possible. This can be difficult to plan for and it’s not advisable if you have your heart set on a certain destination on a particular date.

You can begin your search by visiting one of the search engines. Do a search on discount air travel and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the number of results. You can then visit a few sites and compare the prices of flights on the dates to the destination you desire.

One of the drawbacks of purchasing air travel cheap is that there are often penalties if you decide to cancel or change your flight. For that reason it’s important to be firm about your upcoming plans and to choose an itinerary that you know you’ll be able to stick to.

The time of year you travel can also impact whether or not you find air travel cheap. Certain weeks are considered very popular and therefore fares are increased. Some of those time periods include late December, the month of March and the summer, in particular July and August. One of the reasons is because more families are traveling during this period because of school holidays.

One of the best ways to find air travel cheap is to look on the internet. In recent years there has been an onslaught of websites that offer discount travel. The flights are the same ones that are booked through the airlines directly and the service is exactly the same.

Once you find a flight that fits your preference and budget you simply purchase a ticket. Most tickets are now e-tickets or electronic tickets. This simply means that you don’t receive a hard copy of your ticket, instead when you check-in with the airline they will issue you your boarding pass.

Air travel cheap can be found, it’s just a matter of planning and research. You’ll be glad you invested the time and the effort once you realize how much money you really can save.

Airlines know the price of getting a new customer. And they know that it’s a whole lot easier and less expensive to keep the customers that they already have. For this reason, airlines started frequent flyer programs. These programs reward you the more you fly.

Frequent flyer programs let you to receive certain travel benefits based on the number of miles (or sporadically the number of trips) you fly on a specific airline. Standard awards include a free ticket or a free upgrade from coach to first class.

Some airlines also offer “elite” programs that provide check-in and boarding priorities, and “affinity” credit cards which earn mileage credits when you use them for purchases.
In order to earn these benefits you must become a member of that airline’s program; this can often be done through a travel agency.

There isn’t a how many programs you can join. But before you decide which program to join, you should compare different programs carefully.

Every airline program carries conditions and limitations. So you should be careful to read the promotional material and the all the fine print. Here are a few things you should take a look at:

- The rate at which credits are earned, minimum credits earned per flight

- If you are more interested in free tickets for yourself, or companion tickets, or upgrades

- How much credit you need for the awards you’re interested in

- What are the deadlines for accumulated credits?

- Does the airline serve the cities you’re traveling to, and if it has tie-ins or other airlines and to car rental companies and hotels you would use.

- If awards can be transferred to someone else or just members only

Also, airlines reserve the right to make changes at any time. More often than not, without notice. This can include changes to the conditions and limits on the awards earned.

You should also be keeping track of the mileage you’ve earned and check it against the statement the airline mails to you.

It’s not uncommon that airlines add new routes after you join the program.You might be able credits on that route but not use awards there.

Another important not that you should be aware of is that airlines usually restrict the transfer of mileage earnings. Most often being the sail or attempted sale of credits or awards you’ve earned and want to sell. You should never try this as the airlines have caught on to these schemes and actively persue it.

There are a few fears in life that defy logic. Fear of spiders may be one, fear of lifts is another, and perhaps a fear of flying is another. Everyday, thousands of planes take off around the world, carrying millions of passengers safely to their destination. Flying is one of the safest, if not the safest, form of travel available. It is far safer than getting in the car, yet over one third of the population still report a fear of flying.

People cite many concerns when they talk of their fear of flying. Many report a lack of confidence in the air traffic control system and fear that a simple mistake on the ground can lead to disaster in the air. Then there are fears of faults with the plane itself. Most people saw the pictures of the concord crash a few years ago and when you’re sitting on an airplane, a few feet from the massive jet engines humming steadily, it seems very hard to believe that nothing could go wrong with such a machine. In fact the very shape and appearance of airplanes does little to inspire confidence in passengers who already are having doubts about the airworthiness of the plane.

Then there are the reports and press attention of the troubles of deep vein thrombosis.

The fact of the matter however, is that flying is extremely safe. It is one of the wonders of technology that air travel, with all the multitude of potential failures, keep delivering flight after flight, on time and without a hitch. In fact, in contrast to almost all other forms of travel, air travel is becoming safer and safer every year.

The statistics speak for themselves. Do you know what the chances are of having a single fatality on a flight? Well according to the BBC, it is 1 in 16 million. And in the vast majority of accidents where there are fatalities, more than half of the other passengers survive. What this means is that even if you defy all the odds and are on one of the few unlucky flights that does crash, you are still more likely to survive than die in the accident.

However, there is one issue with air travel that the statistics don’t commend so highly. Delays, lost luggage and missing flights are still frequent issues that plague passengers. Luckily, all of these can be covered for with some good, comprehensive travel insurance.

Perimeter Security systems are of utmost importance to “airport security”. With  passenger lines stretching from here until  tomorrow, airports could not function without proven perimeter security systems. The pictures of passengers patiently lined  up before metal detectors shows acceptance for Airport security systems. The other, unacceptable option is failed Perimeter
security systems leading to unthinkable 9-11 tragedies and empty planes in the skies.

Accidental Entry – Airport Security
People sometimes penetrate airport security by accident. For example, three boys on a sail boat wound up a runway at JFK  airport. The intrusion led to upgraded airport Security regulations and enhanced perimeter security equipment. Yet,  intrusion by innocent people is an every day occurrence for airports despite advanced perimeter security measures.

Airport Concourse – Security Systems
Concourse security focuses most of its attention on screening processes while perimeter security deal with threats beyond the airport terminal. Perimeter Security is vital as some airports may be protected by tall fences designed to keep out  intruders. Security Systems for airports on the East and West Coasts have marine borders with large open areas. The airport’s perimeter security relies on a combination of patrols by the coast guard, dogs and high tech Perimeter Security systems.

Armed Guards – Perimeter Security
Do armed guarded enhance airport Perimeter Security? The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) adopted an on-line baggage
screening to speed up boarding time. They also created a elite police force armed with machine guns as seen in European
airports. Their role combines both perimeter security and airport Security roles in the event airport security is  breached. While checking carry-on luggage, they also screen travelers for suspicious behavior.

Technology – Perimeter Security
The best hope for assuring airport security is the one least talked about – the companies and technology airports implement
security-based technology for maintaining a safe and secure airport. These include iris recognition, facial recognition, ID
validation, fingerprint biometrics and others. Just as important is technology that verifies suspicious activity that does
not pose what is not a viable threat. For example, thermal-imaging surveillance that provides real-time security perimeter
data to airport personnel.

CCTV systems – Security Systems
For years, airports have used CCTV systems manned by people watching large banks of monitors. While still a component of
airport security system, the CCGTV systems have been upgraded b y new components and new analysis techniques. The “alarm”
triggered may be audible or configured to speak the warning. Experts know “Cameras data don’t stop intruders. People stop
intruders”. CCTV systems offer enhanced perimeter security to protect airports from Accidental Entry.

Whenever you get the time and money to take a special trip, you should not rush into the details of planning and make a mistake. Rather, you should absolutely take your time and plan your trip wisely and with care. One of the biggest mistakes that I have seen many people do over and over when planning a trip is to rush into making their airline reservations.

Naturally, when people first get excited about a trip, they start thinking about how they are going to get from here to there. They start looking to book airline reservations before it is time. All too often people rush into airline reservations and then wind up with plane tickets that they paid way too much for and they end up without any other details of the trip planned.

As a former travel agent, believe me when I say that I have seen these mistakes too often. One of my biggest warnings to potential travelers is to take their time and think through the details of their trip before booking airline reservations. many other details of a trip can be cancelled or changed, but airline reservations are often permanent once made or very costly to change.

Take time to look for potential places to stay and for activities to enjoy in a certain location before you make airline reservations. You never want to make airline reservations and then wind up in a boring location or in a spot without a hotel room. This just takes a little planning and a little patience.

Another huge reason why I caution people against jumping into airline reservations is that often novice travelers have no real idea where to look for good deals. Take your time and do a vast search of prices before making any airline reservations. Do not jump into the first offer that you see, but take your time and compare offers that are given. You can book airline reservations over the phone, through a travel agent, or online. So take time and do a search well.

I love nothing more than to see people enjoy a great vacation. But I also love it when they have taken time to plan or get help planning a great trip. I love it when they have been patient and then discovered great airline reservations. So take my advice! Be patient, ask around to other travelers, and then proceed to making airline reservations with caution.

Off-site airport parking is a boon for travelers. Often they prove to be cheaper than parking lots run by airports and online discounts and other conveniences make the option even more attractive.

Satellite parking lots face competition and so it is easy for those in the know to save big.

Here are a few insights:

1.    Keep a tab on offers. As the race for success becomes intense, all sites run attractive offers giving away coupons or web only deals. Many offer an e-coupon that entitles the user to a day’s free parking at selected parking lots.   This means a saving of US$ 18. Other offers give away a day if you park for two days or 50% off on the first days parking fee.

2.    If you are a frequent user of parking lots check for offers where a parking operator with a major presence near airports you use offers a 50% discount if you purchase a certain number of parking vouchers online or on the phone using your credit card.

3.    Many parking sites have a different rate for different parking positions. Check on the kinds of parking and rate differences. You could save up to $ 55 for a seven day parking.

4.    Ask for rates depending on the length of stay. Rates vary so if you are going to need parking for a week then you could get a higher discount than the daily rate on offer.

5.    Many run a frequent user program where repeat customers are offered many facilities. This is similar to frequent flier programs.

6.    Find out if the lots you use offer special discounts to members of AARP, AAA, or other such organizations. In fact, AA members save between 10-20% on parking. Some sites even offer the service of picking up and dropping your car from the airport terminal.

7.    Do your research well compare providers, the rates on offer, as well as facilities at the place you need to park. If you are clever you can get more for less.

8.    Before you travel use the internet to check on daily and weekly parking offers. There are free days, discounted weekly rates, and guaranteed rates on offer at various times.  You can avail the offer by making a booking online or printing out the page with a code and presenting it to the cashier at the parking lot.
9.    Keep track of promotions especially during holiday seasons. Many lots accept coupons and give away discounts offered  by consumer products

10.    Often pre-booking parking can get you a saving of even 60% and more.

11.    Hotels often offer parking specials, so make use of the extra facility being offered by the hotel you plan to stay in.

12.    Some travel agents who book flight tickets offer advice or coupons for parking at the point of exit and entry. Ask you agent when you book your flight.

Off site parking is not just fast and convenient it can be a saving too.