India’s Kingfisher Airlines Forays Into Middle East; Announces Launch Of UAE-India Flights

Kingfisher Airlines, India’s only Five Star airline rated by Skytrax, today announced its entry into the Middle East connecting India and the UAE, as part of its strategy of expanding its global footprint and adding new destinations to its international route network.

In a message sent to commemorate the launch of this new international route of Kingfisher Airlines, Dr. Vijay Mallya, Chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines Limited, said, “Ever since its launch, Kingfisher Airlines has raised the bar with many market-firsts and innovations that have completely redefined the whole experience of flying. Given the strong linkages between the UAE and India, the launch of this new route will mean that travelers will now have the option to enjoy the award-winning Kingfisher Experience.”

Addressing the media at a press conference at the launch of its daily direct flights from Dubai to Bangalore, Mr. Siva Ramachandran, Vice President-Global Sales, Kingfisher Airlines Limited said: “I am delighted to announce the commencement of flights between Dubai and Bangalore which marks our entry into the UAE market for the first time. Dubai is the airline’s fourth international destination after London, Colombo and Dhaka. The flights between Dubai and Bangalore will be operated using the A320 family of aircraft featuring Kingfisher Class, the premium economy service from Kingfisher Airlines. What is unique to Kingfisher Airlines is that it has one of the largest networks in India connecting over 50 destinations from Bangalore which will assure seamless connectivity to our guests from the UAE who intend to fly to practically any major Indian city.”

Describing the launch of Kingfisher Airlines’ flight as an important development that further solidifies the strong links between the two vibrant and emerging economies and two vital entities, Mr. Richard Talian, Vice President, Strategy, Dubai Airports said, “While Dubai is the business and leisure capital of the region, Bangalore is the heart of India’s multi-billion dollar IT sector. And whereas Dubai Airports is considered one the world’s leading aviation hubs, Kingfisher Airlines is one of India’s fastest growing international carriers.”

The award-winning Kingfisher Experience includes onboard comforts so that guests are able to rest in the roomiest seats in the sky with a wide seat pitch and ample room to stretch their legs. Moreover, the dining options ensure that guests have an ample spread with a choice of mouth-watering options and a perfect accompaniment from a selection of beverages on board. The In-Flight Entertainment system will ensure enthralling world-class entertainment with a personal system on every seat featuring the latest blockbuster movies, English and Hindi TV programmes and Kingfisher Radio.

Mr. Ramachandran highlighted that the newly launched flights offer the best-in-class experience amongst the narrow-body products serving this route and this coupled with ideal and convenient timings, will offer travelers on this route a better option. “Our aim is to offer unprecedented convenience and comfort to our customers, both Indian expats as well as tourists from both countries. Thanks to our very competitive fares and Kingfisher Airlines’ vast and unparalleled domestic network in India, the initial response to the launch of these new flights has been extremely encouraging and we look forward to rapidly consolidating our market share on this new international route.”

The flight will take off from Dubai at 10:10 pm and reach Bangalore at 3:45 am, the following day. Kingfisher Airlines flights operate from Terminal 1 of Dubai Airport. The flights are conveniently timed with the flight from Bangalore leaving at 6:15 pm and reaching Dubai at 8:55 pm, local time.

Guests flying in to Bangalore from Dubai on Kingfisher Airlines will now have the added advantage of having very conveniently timed onward connections to many domestic destinations in India with almost immediate connections from Bangalore to Mangalore, Goa, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, Kolkata, Hubli, Belgaum, Nagpur, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad and all major metros in India. In addition, guests will also have the option of conveniently timed onward connections on Kingfisher Airlines flights to international destinations like Colombo and Dhaka.

Bangalore is ideally placed as a transit hub for travelers flying from Belgaum, Chennai, Calicut, Coimbatore, Hubli, Kochi, Mangalore, Thiruvananthapuram and Vijaywada into Dubai as it offers easy connectivity, thanks to the fact that it has a minimum connect time. Outbound travelers connecting with this flight of Kingfisher Airlines will not have to change or transfer from one airport terminal to another as the domestic and international sections are less than 100 meters away from each other.

Kingfisher Airlines caters to all segments of the air travel ranging from low-fare service-Kingfisher Red, to the premium economy service-Kingfisher Class, to the luxurious Kingfisher First.

du has strong presence at Terminal 3, Dubai International Airport with shop and payphones

To facilitate easier communication for passengers in transit at the new Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, du, the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider, has announced the availability of a du shop in the arrivals section in addition to payphones at convenient locations throughout the airport. With du payphones, the calls will be charged by the second, which means paying only for actual talk time.

du offers 2G and 3G mobile coverage in Terminal 3 and the additional presence of du shop and payphones will further facilitate communication needs of customers.

Making the announcement, Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “Increasing customer convenience has always been our priority. By ensuring easy access to the du shop and kiosk, we are enabling customers to get connected as soon as they arrive. Our payphones will also enable them to keep in touch with family, friends and colleagues conveniently.”

du payphones can be used to make national, international or mobile voice calls. To use a du payphone, customers will need to purchase an AED 30 denomination prepaid card and insert it in the telephone. Prepaid cards are available at duty free shops and at the du shop located at the airport terminal.

The du payphones can also be used to call emergency numbers. There are separate speed dial keys for contacting the Police, ambulance services and information desk. Calls can also be made to access du directory services by dialing the speed dial ‘du Directory’ on the payphone.

du improves its presence at Manar Mall, Ras Al Khaimah

In a move to provide easier access to du’s portfolio of products and services to customers in Ras Al Khaimah, du, the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider, today announced the expansion of the size of its kiosk at Manar Mall, a prominent shopping destination in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, to almost double. Local dignitary Sheikh Mohammed Bin Kayed Al Qassimi, Vice Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Department, Board Member of the Union University and President of the Ras Al Khaimah Club presided over the opening of the expanded kiosk, along with representatives from du’s senior management.

The du kiosk at Manar Mall is conveniently located on ground floor and will sell du Pay as you Go® SIM cards, Elite Plan lines, WoW recharge cards, du Call Select (fixed line service), as well as provide bill payment services for both individual and business customers.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “The expanded du kiosk at Manar Mall will open new doors for our customers in Ras Al Khaimah, by providing easier access to our products and services. It demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our presence around the UAE, by being a visible force in a wide variety of locations, to facilitate service convenience for all of our customers.”

du’s wide range of products and services for individual and business customers are available through du’s retail network, currently numbering 31 du shops and kiosks, located in strategic locations across the UAE. Customers can also purchase du’s products and services at more than 3000 authorised dealers or online at its e-shop www.du.ae/en/where-to-buy/eshop.html

du hosts Wireless Broadband Alliance Roundtable Conference

du, the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider, announced today that it is hosting the 15th Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) Roundtable Conference in Dubai from 20th – 23rd April; the first time that such a high-level meeting of leading WBA global telecom operators is held in the Middle East.

The conference consists of four separate sessions across the four days – including the WBA Summit 2009, the WBA-WFA Joint Cooperation Workshop and Networking Dinner, and 1- on-1 Meetings, concluding with the WBA Members Conference. Souhail Haddaji, Vice President, Marketing Fixed Products at du will be delivering a speech titled ‘Overview of Recent Wi-Fi Developments’ on 20th April 2009.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “We are committed to actively engaging with experts and industry partners from across the globe, to enable us to continually deliver an improved service and experience to our users; not just in the UAE, but whenever they travel abroad. Hosting this forum will bring us a variety of significant opportunities for future partnerships with global telecom leaders, for the future benefit of all du customers.”

du, which is the only WBA member from the Middle East region, intends to use the forum to accelerate the establishment of wireless broadband roaming relationships with other leading WBA partners from around the world.

In forging successful alliances, du users will be able to enjoy a unified wireless broadband experience – as if they are connecting to their home operator when they travel abroad and connect to WBA member networks.

The event will also be a significant opportunity for du to increase visibility of its variety of broadband services – for enterprise and domestic use, in both local and regional markets.

WBA meetings are considered as the definitive occasion for telecom providers to discuss opportunities for driving wireless broadband services adoption; in a forum that allows industry leaders and partners to proactively engage with each other.

The WBA was founded in 2003 by a group of leading telecom operators including BT, Korea Telecom, Maxis, NTT Communications, StarHub and T-Mobile USA as the original founding members. WBA now has 40 of the leading wireless broadband operators and vendors as members across Asia Pacific, Americas and Europe as of December 2008.

The objectives of the WBA are to facilitate global wireless broadband roaming between member operators across networks, technologies and devices, and to increase wireless broadband adoption by fostering collaboration between members.

Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority signs landmark agreement with du

In a landmark deal, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) announced today that it has signed a strategic agreement with du, the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider, giving du uninterrupted access to all installed and planned fiber optics networks across the emirate of Abu Dhabi; thus opening up new opportunities for future services.

The agreement was signed by David Copstake, Managing Director, TRANSCO and Osman Sultan, Chief Executive Officer of du.

David Copstake, Managing Director, TRANSCO said: “Through TRANSCO, ADWEA owns a state-of-the-art fiber optics network. With the continually increasing demand for Internet bandwidth, our agreement with du is fully designed to offer unlimited access to the current dark fiber network, enabling du to further implement its leading telecom technology.”

Osman Sultan, CEO, du, said: “The interconnection agreement and access to TRANSCO’s dark fibers network is expected to bring out a lot of synergies and raise the playing field for us in the UAE. It will enable us to serve our Abu Dhabi customers better and it will create the ideal platform for offering a multitude of services in the future.”

“We look forward to working closely with TRANSCO to make this opportunity successful for the benefit of all new and existing customers.”

du launches staff blood donation drive in partnership with Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Centre

In line with the company’s ongoing commitment to developing and undertaking initiatives that benefit the local community, du, the UAE’s integrated telecom operator held a blood donation session for its employees, in partnership with the Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Centre.

Organised at du offices in Dubai Media City, the latest corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative by du was developed in response to the pressing demand for more blood in the UAE to treat blood disorders such as Thalassaemia, which requires patients to undergo frequent blood transfusions – in order to survive.

Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communications, du, said: “As a UAE national company with a strong focus on corporate social responsibility, we firmly believe in using our position to pioneer initiatives that help and support the local community. We organised the blood donation drive because it is something that will benefit the entire of the UAE. We are proud of the enthusiastic participation of our employees in this noble initiative and doing their bit to save lives.” 

du Elite Plan and Premier Plan come to life with interactive UAE-wide roadshows

du, the UAE’s integrated telecom service provider today announced that it is holding UAE-wide roadshows for its customers following the recent launch of Elite Plan and Premier Plan. The month-long roadshows cover prominent locations across the UAE and include interactive activities and experiences inspired by du’s brand ambassadors for Elite Plan, Indian movie superstar Shahrukh Khan, the creator of the region’s beloved animated series Freej – Mohammed Saeed Hareb, and leading Emirati jewellery designer Azza Al Qubaisi, while experiencing the world of unique benefits that du’s new Elite and Premier plans have to offer.

Among the exciting and fun-filled activities lined-up include a photo opportunity with life-like virtual Shahrukh Khan, an interactive experience with Freej where people get to record their voices on a Freej video clip. The road show is also displaying intricate works of leading Emirati jewellery designer Azza Al Qubaisi. Customers can get first-hand information about Elite Plan and Premier Plan and purchase on the spot through the stands on various locations by providing requisite documentation.

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said; “Our philosophy is also about empowering users with the best tools, services and experiences in mobility, and we decided that there was no better way to make this a reality than by becoming mobile ourselves and taking the Elite and Premier Plans directly to consumers. By doing it we are enabling customers across the country to experience the benefits of the plans in an innovative and interactive format.”

With an eye on offering freedom, value, flexibility and control to its business customers, du’s ‘Premier Plan’ is a feature-rich monthly mobile plan for business customers designed to offer multiple privileges such as the option to switch between business and personal wallet (postpaid and prepaid respectively), pick special numbers and flexible corporate rate plans.

Offering significant innovation, personalisation and convenience to its customers, du’s ‘Elite Plan’ is designed as the smart choice for high-end individuals. The plan offers monthly rewards comprising of 55 national calls, 55 national SMS and 5 MB of data usage, up to 75% bonus on international calls, *dial feature (star dial feature which gives the first of its kind benefit of a prepaid account on a post paid plan) and a choice of special Gold, Silver and Bronze numbers.

Benefiting from attractive roaming rates and extensive footprint, Elite Plan and Premier Plan users can stay in touch across 5 continents with its extensive International Roaming footprint. Customers can roam with over 360 leading telecom operators spread over 132 countries enjoying a full range of services such as making and receiving calls, sending and receiving SMS, accessing high speed mobile internet, and much more at attractive rates while travelling abroad. Customers roaming within the GCC can enjoy incoming call rates of only AED 1.25 while roaming.

Elite Plan & Premier Plan subscribers can also access mobile internet and BlackBerry® email service in over 230 mobile networks worldwide. In addition, du has tied up with over 75 network providers in 47 countries to provide 3G (voice and data) roaming services, making du’s 3G international roaming coverage the biggest in the UAE. du customers with 3G phones can access high speed internet and other 3G services while roaming in these networks

All this is on top of a 50% further discounts on all national calls within “MyFamily” plan as well as the exclusive feature of Pay by the Second where all outgoing Voice and Video calls made from the UAE will be charged by the second and not rounded up to the next minute.

To purchase Elite Plan, customers pay AED 125 and get back AED 124 in credit. The following will need to be presented upon purchase:

UAE Nationals: Passport/National ID/ UAE driving license
Residents: Passport with a valid residency visa (visa not required for GCC nationals) and one of the following: Utility bill with physical address, tenancy/ ownership documents, a salary certificate or payslip outlining a minimum salary of AED 2,500.

To purchase Premier Plan, customers pay AED 55 only. The following documents need to be presented upon purchase:
• Copy of trade license
• Copy of passport or UAE driving license (authorisation letter is required in case applicant is not the owner)

du Elite Plan and Premier Plan Roadshow Schedule

Location Date Time
Mall of the Emirates – North Galleria, Dubai 24 April – 9 May 10am – 10pm
BurJuman Centre, 1st Floor, Next to Virgin, Dubai 14 May – 23 May 10am – 10pm
Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi 6 May – 16 May 10am – 10pm
Festival City, Atrium Ground Floor, Dubai 23 April – 2 May 10am – 10pm
The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residences, Dubai 23 April – 9 May 12pm – 10pm
Wafi Shopping Mall, First Floor, Next to Paris Gallery, Dubai 2 May – 9 May 10am – 10pm
Dubai Airport Expo , East Hall, Dubai 29 April – 2 May 5pm – 12am on 29th April / 10am – 12am on other days
Uptown Mirdif, Next to Spinneys, Dubai 8 May – 14 May 12pm – 10pm

For further details on du’s Elite and Premier roadshows, or to purchase either of the plans, visit any of the 30 du Shops located in strategic locations across the UAE and partner outlets such as Axiom, FONO, One Mobile, Jumbo, Eros, Jacky’s, Emirates Computers and Plug-Ins or at www.du.ae.

du Announces First Quarter 2009 Results

Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (“du”) today announced solid first quarter 2009 results.

Highlights for the first quarter:
• Total revenues for the quarter of AED 1,166 million, a 54% increase in comparison to the same period in 2008 (AED 756 million)
• Gross margin of 67%, up from 61% in Q1 2008
• Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA ) of AED 159 million, compared to AED 2 million in Q1 2008
• Net profit of AED 47 million before Royalty , up from a net loss of AED 62 million in Q1 2008
• 252,000 active mobile customers added during the quarter, up from 181,100 in Q1 2008; which brings total active subscribers at 31 March 2009 to 2.750.000

Commenting on the results, Ahmed Bin Byat, Chairman of du, said, “With significant year-on-year revenue growth translating into uplift in gross margin, these results are testament to du’s strong performance. In the first quarter of 2009 we have continued to build upon our considerable success in 2008 and I firmly believe that the company is well positioned to prosper throughout out 2009 and into 2010.

“However, we are not complacent and are fully aware of the challenges presented by both a global economic recession and a highly competitive telecommunications market. While we are by no means immune to the effects of the global downturn, I believe that three critical factors will help shield du to some extent from these pressures. Firstly, the significant investment we have made, and continue to make, in our state-of-the-art network; secondly our focus on innovative new products and services for our growing customer base; and finally, our unwavering commitment to driving value for money for our customers. Together these make du an attractive proposition for both shareholders and customers alike.”

Osman Sultan, du’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “Against an undeniably challenging backdrop and following a solid start to the year evidenced by our continued success in acquiring significant levels of new customer numbers in the quarter, we are poised to take du into the new phase of its growth. While 2008 was a phenomenal year for our company and we reached many significant milestones, our focus now is on continuing to set the benchmark for service by increasing the value we add to each and every customer, and on expanding into new customer segments. Q1 has seen us launch international WOW and Double Talk Time, both of which have provided an immediate benefit to our customers. In April we also launched our post-paid elite and premier product, for which most of the investment was done in Q1, to address the high end market.

“Fundamental to the quality of our service is our network – a significant and modern telecommunications network now covering over 97% of the UAE population. We continue to invest in this project and are focused on increasing both the quality of our network as well as our 3G capabilities throughout 2009. We are on track to meet this target and have already committed AED 638 million during the first quarter alone to further strengthen our network to support future subscriber growth and provide quality for our customers.”

Q1 2009 results analysis

Overall revenues for Q1 2009 grew by 54% year-on-year to AED 1,166 million, compared to AED 756 million for Q1 2008 – a reflection of the substantial increase in the mobile subscriber base over the past twelve months. While there was some decline quarter-on-quarter (AED 1,227 million in Q4 2008), this was marginal and can largely be attributed to a combination of seasonality with fewer public holidays, lower call volumes from inbound business travellers and the impact of a shorter quarter.

Over the first quarter du added a further 252,000 active mobile customers. As of 31 March 2009 du’s active subscriber base stood at 2,750,000 and corresponding mobile revenue of AED 795 million, a 71% increase year-on-year.

Revenues for du’s fixed business, including fixed telephony, TV and Broadband, amounted to AED 230 million – a 37% year on year increase, reflecting 311,000 lines .

Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased to AED 159 million in Q1 2009 (versus AED 2 million in Q1 2008).

du’s ongoing capital expenditure programme is anticipated to exceed AED 2 billion in 2009, with AED 638 million accounted for during Q1 2009. This CAPEX programme is fundamental to du’s ongoing growth throughout 2009 and will enable it to continue offering its customers a high quality of service and new, innovative products and services.

du’s Ramadan Tent 2008 concept wins at Middle East Awards 2009

du today announced that the concept of du Ramadan tent in 2008 has won an award for the most ‘Outstanding use of a temporary venue/structure or space’ at Middle East Awards 2009. du’s event partner Action Impact , which conceptualized and executed the brief won this award amidst stiff competition from over 30 entries in the region.

The award recognized the du Ramadan tent’s distinctive design and the rich cultural and social experience that it offered to people in the UAE.

Hala Badri, EVP Brand and Communications, du, said: “It is an honour to have been recognized alongside Action Impact for our work during Ramadan through the du Ramadan Tent, which blended the traditional look of Ramadan with the innovative vision of the du brand through, creative design and stunning aesthetics. As a UAE national company, we are proud of our heritage; and as such it is our pleasure each year to provide a setting where all residents and visitors from across the country can join together and have a truly unique experience with du.”

The du Ramadan Tent – ‘Al Majlis’ – was designed to provide a glimpse of traditional UAE environment for visitors to immerse themselves in and welcomed up to 1000 guests per night.

du announces lucky winner of Andrea Bocelli AED 10,000 raffle

du, the UAE’s integrated telecom services provider, announced today the lucky winner of the grand AED 10,000 raffle prize, from the entries made to the draw during the Andrea Bocelli concert in Abu Dhabi.

Australian national Ranjith Powell was selected as the winner after entering the draw at Italian operatic pop tenor and classical singer Andrea Bocelli’s concert, held live at Emirates Palace on 27 March.

People were entered into the draw via an on-the-spot activity at the Emirates Palace venue, which asked people at random if they wished to participate in the du ‘Smart People’ activity. Those that agreed were photographed, and their image uploaded to the www.smartpeople.ae website. All those that were photographed were entered into the raffle, with an equal chance to win the AED 10,000 grand prize.

Powell, who has lived in Dubai for two years and subscribes to du services including TV, landline, internet and mobile, explained how he came to enter the competition. He said; “My friends had invited me to the concert and even though we were running late, I noticed the du raffle promotion and decided to enter, despite my friends telling me there was no point! When I found out I had won, they couldn’t believe it and said that it was meant to be! I am absolutely thrilled to have won this fantastic prize thanks to du, especially after having such a great evening at the concert. With the money I’m going to buy gold and jewellery for my mother. Thank you du!”

Farid Faraidooni, EVP Commercial, du, said: “The Smart People activity was a fun and experiential way to connect with customers and present to them our new Elite and Premiere Plans in a unique way and part of a teaser campaign towards the launch of those products. We then added the element of excitement by offering all participants the chance of winning a cash prize. We congratulate Ranjith on his good luck and are happy that the activity was such an astounding success, enjoyed by all of those that took part.”

The Andrea Bocelli event, sponsored by du, formed part of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival, in conjunction with Flash and LiveNation. du remains committed to bringing the best in entertainment to the UAE by sponsoring a number of diverse music concerts, and to bringing du to life for customers through competitions and other experiences.