Ryanair Holdings CEO Michael O'Leary says Britain’s revamped fiscal policy could bankrupt the country, while rising inflation and interest rates combined with a declining UK pound has one of his top executives saying the airline could quit the UK market. Putting forward the Ryanair point of view in Dublin this week, O'Leary told journalists that "I think what they have done in the UK is nuts. I think they could bankrupt the UK economy in the next two years." At the same event, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson warned the airline had the ability to withdraw from the UK market if economic conditions kept deteriorating and dampened demand for low-cost airline travel. According to a Bloomberg report, Ryanair is ready and willing to transfer its UK-based aircraft to any one of its 36 European bases. "If there’s issues with demand we have that ability to grow and locate aircraft in places that have the best cost base and where demand reflects putting in that capacity," he said.<br/>
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Iranian airliner Mahan Air's Tehran to Guangzhou flight arrived safely and on time at its Chinese destination, Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency said on Monday, after a report of a bomb scare onboard. India's air force (IAF) said it had scrambled fighter jets after receiving information of a bomb scare on an airline bearing Iranian registration passing through Indian airspace. The air force said it later received information from Iran's capital Tehran to disregard the bomb scare and the flight continued its journey. "Our Airbus 340 passenger plane was travelling from Tehran to Guangzhou in China, and as soon as the pilot learned about the possibility of an in-flight bomb, he informed relevant authorities. The Mahan operation control centre discerned that the threat was fabricated and the flight continued its journey in full safety," Mahan Air said. "It seems that reports of a bomb onboard the plane during current international and domestic conditions were aimed at disrupting security and peace of mind," the statement added. The Indian jets followed the Iranian aircraft at a safe distance and the plane was offered the option to land at two airports in north-western India. "However, the pilot declared his unwillingness to divert to either of the two airports," the IAF said. Data from FlightRadar24 showed Mahan Air flight W581 from Tehran to Guangzhou flying in circles a handful of times above northern India, west of New Delhi, before continuing across the country and into Myanmar. An Indian Air Force spokesman did not confirm the number of the flight for which fighter jets were scrambled.<br/>
After seven years, Kuwait Airways is finally back in Malaysia’s skies. The first Kuwait Airways flight, a Boeing 777-300ER plane, touched down at the KL International Airport here at 11.40am yesterday to the traditional greeting of water cannons. Carrying some 300 passengers, the KU409 flight had earlier taken off from Kuwait City at 3.40am Malaysia time. Chairman of ATS Global Travel and Charter, a company which was appointed as a general service agent for Kuwait Airways in Malaysia, Datuk A. Aziz Ahmad said the flight frequency would be twice weekly, adding that this would be increased with growing demand. “Kuwait is an international hub and Malaysians will be able to transit worldwide from Kuwait to destinations like London, United Kingdom, and Munich, Germany. “Kuwait Airways’ aircraft is one of the new ones and the best but as you are all aware, we are in the recovery phase so we can expect the frequency to increase in the future,” he said.<br/>
AirAsia Malaysia is strengthening its commitment to Indonesia by resuming its flight services from Kuala Lumpur to Banda Aceh, Padang and Pekanbaru. These are effective from Oct 1 and it will add services from Penang to Bali-Denpasar for the first time, starting Oct 20. The carrier said the latest routes are a strong testament to AirAsia’s pledge to the local governments of Aceh, West Sumatra and Riau to open international services from their main provincial airports. “The new services are also in response to strong demand by local communities from both countries, which share cultural similarities and familial ties, and will boost tourism and creative economy in the regions.” CEO Riad Asmat said Indonesia is a core market for the airline and that it is glad to be back by launching four new routes with an additional eight weekly flights, on top of six existing routes. This brings the number of flights to Indonesia to 66 weekly. “As an airline group with extensive connectivity in Asean and the Asia Pacific, together with our affiliate Indonesia AirAsia, we are thrilled to continue playing our role in bringing foreign tourists directly to various popular and underserved cities in Indonesia and Malaysia. We are excited to reconnect these cities to Kuala Lumpur and Penang, bringing tourists from Malaysia, reconnecting families, and serving business travel,” he said.<br/>