News in Brief

Abacus is integrating Tigerair fares and ancillary products, in an agreement that gives the carrier a fresh platform to compete for travel agent bookings from within the largest portfolio of low cost and hybrid airlines in the region.

·  Emirates will operate a one-off A380 service from Glasgow Airport on 10th April 2014 to celebrate 10 years of carrying Scotland’s passengers to Dubai and beyond.

·  Rob Davidson, EIBTM Industry Analyst and Senior Lecturer in Events Management, University of Greenwich, London will present the EIBTM 2013 Trends Watch report at the 6th Edition of the Eventex Conference in Sofia, Bulgaria.

·  European turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR and the Thai airline Bangkok Airways signed a contract for the sale of six firm ATR 72-600 aircraft and two options, valued at almost US$ 200 million.

·  The European turboprop aircraft manufacturer ATR and the Spain's Canary Islands carrier Binter Canarias announced a contract for the sale of six firm ATR 72-600 aircraft, valued at almost US$ 150 million.

·  Royal Wing Suites and Spa has been named one of the top 25 luxury hotels in Thailand (luxury category) in the 2014 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice® awards. In the 12th year of the awards, the world’s most outstanding properties were identified in the categories of Top Hotels, Bargain, B&Bs and Inns, Family, Luxury, Romance, and Small Hotels.

·  Asia Pacific’s leading low cost carrier Scoot has renewed its partnership with Rolls-Royce. Scoot will start taking delivery of its 20 Dreamliners starting in November 2014, all of which will be powered by Singapore-assembled Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.

• An Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot hijacked a plane bound for Italy and diverted it to Geneva, where he asked for asylum in Switzerland. None injured, hijacker may be charged with taking hostages, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison in Switzerland.
• A small passenger plane crashed in the mountains of western Nepal, killing all 18 people on board.