Posted in June 2010

Dubai Flights Superpower

Source: hazel eyes
Tuesday 29th June 2010, 3:01pm

With the opening of the world's largest airport in Dubai, the region is set to become a major global hub for air travel.

Al Maktoum International airport is designed for a high throughput of passengers - 165 million is the number I've seen and will be able to accommodate the huge A380.

Dubai's two airports will have a combined capacity of over 200 million, making it one of the most important global transport hubs in the world when the new airport opens next March.

Emirates, and to a lesser extent Etihad and Qatar have an advantage over European rivals in that they receive state financial backing. For example, a flight to Bangkok from Paris could be up to 100 euros cheaper in mid september if booked now with comparable deals available to other indian destinations if you hunt about.

The lower fares are also made possible by the high capacity aircraft and low operating costs of flying through Dubai airports. Some estimates put the savings at between 25 - 50%.

The airlines are also more customer focussed than some US and European counterparts, improving the passenger experience - another feather in their cap.

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Car Hire Rickshaw Alternative?

Source: hazel eyes
Monday 7th June 2010, 12:45pm

Could rickshaws replace car hire and taxis in our towns? Somewhere in Britain, someone thinks so.

Somewhere in the UK, apparently, there is a taxi firm owner that has come back from India where rickshaws are the main form of transport. He thinks they are such a great idea, he has now got two driving about.

There is no charge for using them at the moment, just a donation box for a local charity. People can flag the rickshaws down, then choose whether or not to give money, but no doubt this will change in time. I hope the town is fairly flat for the sake of the drivers, although they have an electric motor to assist with hills, I know I'd get pretty fed up with it, but then again I don't particularly like cycling.

As to it taking over from car hire and taxis, I'm not so sure. I can see a market for them over short distances, but over longer journeys, a car is going to be more efficient, and I cant really see families hiring them for a week to travel round the country. They do have an environmental advantage - no emissions, fuel to buy or congestion charge, not to mention the health benefits of cycling for miles a day. I guess we can only watch and see what happens.

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Ferrari World Abu Dhabi Opens Doors

Source: hazel eyes
Thursday 3rd June 2010, 12:58pm

Ferrari World opened its doors in Abu Dhabi for a preview last Wednesday.

After all the hype surrounding Ferrari World, it opened its doors for a preview last Wednesday.

The park doesn't open until October, so the site is more construction stage than looking pretty, with the 200,000m2 red roof the most striking feature visible at the moment. The roof is decorated with the largest Ferrari logo created.

The park is designed not only to appeal to ferrari fans, but a wider audience as it is the world's largest indoor theme park, including the world's fastest rollercoaster. Business travellers as well as tourists should find something to suit as the admission price is said to be very affordable.

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