End Of Course

Dear Student,
Thank you for your work during the course and the quality of the final presentation. Mr. Ibrahim Al Ansari was obviously pleased, too both with the level of students and the way each one of you presented your topic.
I guess this is also one of the reasons why he encouraged us to discuss with Dr. Saeed the entry requirements for the AOM department.
As for today' meeting, which was unfortunately cancelled due to other engagements, I managed to talk to Dr. Saeed and expressed concerns about the current situation with most of the students who will not be able to join the AOM department. He confirmed that the matter is going to be further discussed but no decision has yet taken placed.
It seems that there is no point at this stage in meeting him as the people who are going to make that decision have not agreed yet on what is best to do.
Anyway, if you want to speak to me about this or any other matter, you are more than welcome. I'll be in my staffroom.

Kind regards,
RV

Good evening all my best friends,...

From my heart, I send for all of you best wishes on all the exams..


Thank you M.Ralitza for teaching us the best course we have taken..



Thank you all,..
Regards..
Best wishes...

A Reply to a Letter of Complaint

Hello,
Imagine the following situation:

You work at the airport as a Customer Service Representative. You receive this letter of complaint from a customer. Reply to the letter in 150 words. Be courteous, apologise for the inconvenience and explain the procedure.

You can use some of the expressions below:

I apologise for .......
Please, accept my (our) apologies for ........
On behalf of customer service, I would like to .................
The reason why ......................................... is................
potential risk of an explosive device hidden in ..........................
This is part of the security measures in place in our airport.
to ensure the security
in the interest of all passengers

Here is the letter:

January 12, 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,

The other day I brought my 16 year-old daughter to your airport because she was flying to Sri Lanka for the first time by herself. I attempted to park in the drop off area so that I could help her get to the check-in desk with all her luggage.
I was told (in a very rude manner) that I could not stop there, and that I had to move my car immediately. Consequently, I had to leave my daughter there all by herself while I parked the car, and she was almost late for her flight. I would appreciate an explanation.

Sincerely,
Mr. Francois Lecavalier

Security Measures

AIRPORT MEASURES

Task 1

Check the guide to biometric technology on the bbc site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456993/html/default.stm

and brifly summarise in 30-40 words what biometrics is.

Task 2

Choose 3 of the measures listed, research them on the internet and write a short description of how they work and what they are used for.

surveillance cameras

sniffer dogs

security patrols

x-ray machines

full-body scanners

Regards,

RV

Airport Security

Airports and airlines are attractive targets for terrorism and other acts of crime. Large number of people pass through airports, which means there is a large concentration of people in a small area. At the same time airliners like AIRBUS A380 can carry more than 500 passengers on board, so any attempt to blow up the plane has the potential to produce a high mortality rate.

On the other hand, incidents involving aircraft attract huge media interest, which can be used by the terrorists to publicise their cause and instill fear. A hijacked plane is a sort of 'flying bomb", explosive devices can be hidden in checked luggage causing the death of hundreds of innocent people.

Find information on the net about some of the incidents involving aircraft that have changed the way airport security is viewed today.

9/11

1. Which incident does 9/11 refer to? Describe briefly the incident.

2. What was the lethality rate (how many people were killed)?

3. How mant hijackers were involved?

4. Who took responsibility for the attack?

5. What new security measures were put in place as a result?

25/12/2009

1. What happened on Northwest Airline Flight 253 on Christmas day, 2009?

2. What security measures were introduced at some airports as a result?

Find about the shoe bomb incident or other notable security incidents that led to the tightening of the security measures at airports.

Regards,

RV

Dangerous Goods

Hello,

The research topic is related to HAZARDOUS GOODS and RESTRICTED ITEMS.

You are going to check and compare the regulations on banned items published on 3 different websites: those of Qantas QF, Qatar Airways QR and TSA - The American Transportation Security Administration.

Task 1

Check the Australian flag carrier website and answer the questions:

http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/dangerous-goods/global/en

1. What are dangerous/hazardous goods? Provide a definition.

2. Describe each category listed in the diagram. Provide a short definition for the category.

3. Look at the guide to dangerous goods. You have 4 options:

a) permitted in as carry-on luggage

b) permitted in as checked luggage

c) permitted on one's person

d) the approval of QANTAS is required.

Answer the questions below with Yes, No or It depends. If the answer is 'It depends', provide more imformation so that it becomes clear on what it depends.

i) Can a passenger take his/her wheelchair?

ii) Can a passenger take spare batteries?

iii) Can a passenger take a packet of safety matches?

iv) Can a passenger take hair spray or perfume?

4. Check Qatar Airways website http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/carriageconditions.html#2.RighttoRefuseCarriage

Check article 9 Baggage.

Read article 9 on Items Unacceptable as Baggage and answer the questions:

i) if a passenger wants to transport an antique firearm, will he be allowed to do that?

ii) where does the airline recommend a passenger to include his/her jewellery, money, business documents, passport?

iii) what are the regulations related to the transportation of live animals?

5. Finally, The American Transportation Security Administration TSA

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

i) is sporting equipment allowed in the cabin?

ii) are replicas of fireworks or toy guns allowed on the plane?

iii) is ammunition permitted?

iv) are scissors allowed?

Regards,

RV

Explaining How The Baggage Handling System Works

Hello,

This is the writing for the topic of baggage handling. Read the following situation and write your answer.

A passenger who is checking in and who has had her luggage lost before asks:

"What happens to my bag after I check it in here? How does it get to the plane, and how can I be sure it will be there at the other end when I arrive?"

Kind regards,
RV

Write an answer of 150-170 words that will reassure her.

The Journey of a Suitcase

Hello,

Here is an excellent interactive site that explains what happens to a bag after it is checked-in or in other words:

THE JOURNEY OF A SUITCASE.

Check the link: http://www.jetfriends.com/jetfriends2/kids/.

Take notes and then explain to your classmates how the baggage habdling system works.

Regards,

RV

Baggage Handling System

Hello,

This task introduces the new topic - BAGGAGE HANDLING regarding the baggage regulations on Qatar Airways flights.

Go the link below and find the answers to the following questions.

http://www.qatarairways.com/global/en/baggage.html



1. How much checked luggage can you take with you free of charge if you are travelling economy class?



2. What is the maximum weight of a checked bag economy class?



3. What are the ICAO recommendations regarding liquids, gels, aerosols in your hand luggage?Write a short paragraph in your own words.



4. Are there any restrictions regarding baby food? What about medication?



5. What is the percentage of baggage that is reclaimed by passengers following a flight?



6. What does a passenger have to do if a bag goes missing?



7. How do you understand the following words? Provide a short definition for each one.

transparent bag -

2 bags not exceeding 15 kg. -

carry-on allowance -

total capacity of -

baggage claim -



Regards,

RV

Explaining Check-in Procedure

Hello,

Imagine you have received a letter by an elderly lady who has never flown before and doesn't know how to check in.

Explain to her the procedure of check-in and suggest one type of check-in that will be easy and convenient for her to do.

Post your answer here.

Organize in paragraphs. Write 150 words.

Regards,
RV

Ticketing Today

Hello,
Here is the writing topic for the subject of Ticketing.

You can discuss the following questions and post a text of 150-170 words.

• How does ticketing happen today?


• What is an electronic ticket?


• How do you book and purchase an e-ticket?


• What information does a ticket contain?


• What are the benefits of electronic ticketing for passengers and airlines?


• What is the future of ticketing?

Post your answer.

Regards,

RV

Benefits of Good Customer Service

Hello,

Today we write about the importance of good customer service.

Discuss:
a) what is customer service
b) the qualities of good customer service representative
c) the benefits of good customer service
d) 4 rules of good customer service.

DON'T FORGET

1. To write in paragraphs.
2. When you discuss the rules, explain and support them with examples.
3. Support your main statements. You can also mention some of the airlines rated 5-stars by Skytrax for their superior services and product.

Regards,
RV

The Best Airlines

Hello,

Today we are going to find out which are the best airlines rated by Skytrax for 2010.

Speaking about the exclusive 5-Star Airline ranking, Skytrax CEO, Mr Edward Plaisted said:

"The greatest attribute behind 5-Star status is an airline's ability to deliver the combination of Product and Service. A great product standard is not by itself the key to a 5-Star ranking, and we are equally concerned by the Quality of front-line service that an airline provides. We are focussed on recognising airlines whose staff deliver a true 5-Star standard of service delivery.

(quote from Skytrax website)


1) Go to the official site of Skytrax (the link is on the right in Useful Links), browse the main page and look up the airlines that received 5 star ranking for 2010.


2) List them in your post, find their airline codes and their main hubs. Comment whether you have travelled with any of them and what your impressions of their product and service are.


3) Read passengers' comments on their experience with these airlines. What are some of the comments passengers make about the customer service they have received? Summarise some of the opinions in your post.

Kind regards,

RV

Imagining Passenger Experiences

Hello, It's the start of the second term and the beginning of Book 2. Good luck! This term will be discussing the different stages of the passenger processing. We start today with passenger experiences. Tell us about a time you have travelled by air. Write about any problems you have had at any step of the process before/ during/ after the flight. Regards, RV

Airport Design

Hello,
Today's lesson is about airport design. Take a moment to look at the diagram below.



A) What kind of design is represented on the diagram. Summarise the facilities you see and write a short text of 50 words. Right click on the diagram to enlarge it, if you need.

B) Check out the website of Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan:
http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/map/index.html
Describe the design and its mode of operation in 30-50 words.

C) Check out http://planetolog.com/map-airport-list.php and check the design of the airports that are listed. Make some comments about the most common mode of operation of airports today.

Kind regards,
RV

Airport Trip

Dear students,

I hope you enjoyed the trip today.

I'd like to invite you to share your impressions from the airport trip. Tell us what you liked about it.

What facilities did you visit?

How many support services can you list from the ones you saw today.

Share you opinion with the others.

Kind regards,

RV

New Orders of Airbus A380

Hello,

I was just sent a link to an article that appeared in Flight Global of an order of 6 new Airbus A380 made by Asiana Airways - the low-cost carrier of South Korea, and the airline that Abdulrahman chose for his presentation.

Check the article on : http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/01/06/351544/asiana-orders-six-a380s.html

Have a nice weekend and use the comment box of the previous post about NDIA to discuss ideas about your class presentation.

Thanks to Naif for the link, I'll check the blog regularly this weekend.

Regards,
RV

New Doha International Airport

Hello,

Today's task is about New Doha International Airport (NDIA). Check the official site of the airport (the link is provided on the right in Useful links) and find out important and interesting information about the project.

Summarise what you have learnt in a text of 150 words.

Regards,

RV

Trends in the Aviation Industry

Hello,
This is the writing task for this week.

Discuss how the aviation industry has changed in recent years. Consider any of the ideas mentioned below:

• passenger numbers


• aircraft design


• airport construction and expansion

Conclude with how the industry is likely to develop in the future.

Write 100-120 words.

Post your writing.

Regards,

RV

P.S. I have uploaded the first part of the IATA Director General's address at the 66th IATA annual meeting in Berlin on the state of the industry and his vision for 2050.

Airports in the Middle East

Hello,

Further to the topic discussed in class, I'd like to encourage you to research the airport you have and post a short description of it, its facilities and services.

Check the airport website, what information is available?

Check SKYTRAX ranking, how many stars are given and read some of the customers' opinions about the airport services.

Regards,
RV

Trends in the Aviation Industry

Hello,

Today's lesson looks at the state of the airports in Europe. The lesson also practises listening and note-taking skills.

You are going to watch a short programme on Airports in Europe (you can download the programme from http://www.eurocontrol.int/corporate/public/standard_page/press_fly_series_2.html ).

Listen to the programme, take notes and answer the following questions. You are going to watch the programme twice.

1. How many passengers passed through the top 100 European airports in 2006?


2. What was the increase from 2005?


3. What is the solution for the increased growth in passenger numbers? Is it by expanding the infrastructure?


4. What are the projections for 2025?


5. How many flights will not be able to be accommodated by the current infrastructure of the European airports?


6. What will be the biggest challenge for the European airports in the future?

7. What information is given about Munich airport? Write all the numbers given and what they refer to?

8. What information is given about Terminal 2 baggage handling system?

9. Efficient operation is based on successful interaction between the parties involved? Who are these people?

10. What are the challenges faced by airports which want to accommodate the newest super jumbo of the skies – Airbus A380?

Regards,
RV