Flight Carrying 100 Americans Forced To Land In Iran, Kept For Hours

(CNN) -- A charter airplane carrying military contractors, including Americans, took off early Saturday from Iran, hours after its pilots were ordered to land because the flight plan was out of date, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said.

The Fly Dubai charter landed in Dubai a short time later, spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

The news brought to an end an incident that began late Friday when the charter plane en route to the United Arab Emirates was told by Iran that it needed to return to Afghanistan, a number of U.S. officials said.

The pilots said they did not have enough fuel to return to Afghanistan, and the Iranians ordered it to land or be "intercepted," the officials said.

It landed in Bandar Abbas in southern Iran near the Persian Gulf, the officials said. The plane was then inspected by Iranian authorities, they said.

There were 140 passengers, including 100 U.S. citizens, on board the flight, which originated at Bagram Airfield, they said. All of the passengers were still believed to be on board, the officials said.

The problem appears to have begun when the flight's departure from Bagram was delayed three hours. As a result, Iranian authorities considered the flight plan "expired" by the time the charter plane crossed into Iran's airspace, officials said.

The plane was allowed to leave after Fly Dubai filed a new flight plan and arranged for more fuel, the officials said.

Thank you, Atlanta. My heart is full. Motor City, we're on our way.OW

US lines up Russia sanctions, opposes Crimea secession

Washington, U.S.A: The United States on Thursday imposed visa bans and set the stage for wider sanctions against Russia, warning any move to split the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine would break international law.

President Barack Obama spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin to explain the measures, which he said were in response to Russia's "violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Obama further stiffened the US response to Russia's incursion into Ukraine as his Secretary of State John Kerry worked in Europe for a diplomatic way out of the worst East-West crisis in decades.

The visa ban targets Russians and Ukrainians blamed for threatening the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine, where pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted after mass protests last month. - Pressuring Putin - They were also merely a first step. Obama also signed an executive order paving the way for economic sanctions against individuals or entities in Russia.

"These decisions continue our efforts to impose a cost on Russia and those responsible for the situation in Crimea," said Obama. "And they also give us the flexibility to adjust our response going forward based on Russia’s actions." In practice, the sanctions may offer a way to crank up pressure on Putin by restricting the assets or movement of senior figures around the Russian president. Those stripped of their visas would be informed, US officials said, refusing to make the list public. But State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki suggested Putin was not on it.

"Taking a step like that against a head of state is -- would be a significant step, and it is not what we are leading with here in this process," she said. Obama also rejected a bid by the Crimean parliament to join Russia -- a move seen as a way for Putin to cement control over the region. "The proposed referendum on the future of Crimea would violate the Ukrainian constitution and violate international law," he said. "In 2014, we are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratic leaders."

 Pro-Moscow officials on the Crimean peninsula announced on Thursday they would hold a referendum on March 16 on whether to join the Russian Federation. But Washington says only the people of Ukraine could make decisions about their borders. Now Watch: Bangla Kiosk 10.03.2014: Who owns lupita?

"You can't have a situation in which the legitimate government of the country is excluded from decision-making about different parts of that country. That is clearly a violation of international law," a senior official said. The White House said the Putin call lasted for an hour. "President Obama indicated that there is a way to resolve the situation diplomatically, which addresses the interests of Russia, the people of Ukraine, and the international community," a White House statement said. In Moscow, the Kremlin said Putin had told Obama that relations between the two countries "should not be sacrificed due to disagreements over individual -- albeit extremely significant -- international problems."

Obama has worked over the last week to build a united front among the United States and its allies on Ukraine, and the US sanctions coincided with new European pressure on Putin. US officials stressed however that, despite the deployment of Russian troops into southern Ukraine's Crimea peninsula, Washington had not seen any military moves into mainland eastern Ukraine.

Clock ticking to opening time for AFRICA AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE 2014

THE NORMAL daily routine at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, near Pretoria, will see a dramatic change in the next few weeks as gangs of workmen move on site to begin erecting chalets, stands, food and refreshment stalls and the hundredand‐ one other fittings in readiness for the opening of this year’s Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition on September 17.

The five‐day event, the largest of its kind in Africa, in expected to attract up to 60 000 people on each of the public days with anything up to 10 000 or more on each of the Trade Days which will include military, civilian and government delegations from many countries around the world and especially from Africa.

Exhibitors themselves will be coming from over 30 countries with obviously the biggest contingent being from South Africa. The overseas exhibitors will be coming from (in alphabetical order): Argentina, Australia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Uganda. Countries with national pavilions are Argentina, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. At the time of writing – six weeks ahead of the show’s opening – 99,97% of the indoor exhibition space had been booked with only a handful of small stand space still available. In all, there will be seven hangars used for indoor exhibits – one more than in 2012 adding over 2 000 square metres of space.

Subject to aircraft availability, there is a strong chance that the Sukhoi SuperJet SSJ100 will make its African debut at AAD 2014.

Outdoor space used mainly for the static display of aircraft and equipment, still had a 15% availability, but even this is likely to be snapped up in the coming weeks.

If the number of lavishly‐equipped and fullyserviced chalets – 46 in all – is anything to go by, AAD 2014 will likely to be one big party from beginning to end with breakfasts, luncheons and, in some cases, even dinners being offered to invited guests with the odd dozen cocktail parties thrown in for good measure.

The companies tasked with servicing these chalets are beginning to have nightmares waiting for confirmation on just how many drinks – “hard and soft” – cups of tea and coffee to order, not forgetting the literally tons of food of all varieties which will be consumed during those five days.

Stand contractors, too, are worrying about when they can expect finality on the plans they have drawn up for the various exhibitors so they can start ordering materials and begin making up the sections which will all come together in the last days before opening time to reveal both elaborate and simple, though effective, display venues.

Then there are the thousand‐and‐one things to be organised, such as car parking areas for VVIPs, VIPs, exhibitors, the media, special guests and, of course, the general public. Tickets and passes have to be printed and then distributed; the police – both military and SAPS – have to organise their routines, arrange duty times and do some on‐the‐site training in advance of September 17. Emergency services both on and off‐base also need to be prepared for any eventuality. All people attending the exhibition must be prepared for extra tight security, not forgetting that the show’s venue, Waterkloof AFB, is South Africa’s number one air force facility.

This has already apparently affected the United States Air Force contingent which was recently banned from inspecting the runways, taxiways and hardstands in preparation for bringing a Boeing B‐52 strategic bomber, as well as other aircraft, to the show (see Flarepath in the July edition of World Airnews). At the time of writing, this perhaps “overthe‐ top” action by whoever was responsible for the banning, was still being discussed among diplomats, air force senior officers and other interested parties in the hope that the B‐52 – never before seen in southern Africa – would still make it to Waterkloof AFB because, without doubt, this will be the biggest crowdpuller and the star of the show.

Even the exhausts from the aircraft’s eight massive jet engines which give the B‐52 the nickname of “Ole Smokey” will be forgiven for their emissions by the most stringent “green protagonist” just to be given the chance to see this icon bomber in action overhead and close up on the ground. Other USAF aircraft which hopefully will be on display pending permission of the “powers that be” could include the giant C‐17 heavy lifter which may bring some helicopters in its huge belly. There is also the possibly of a US Coast Guard Lockheed Martin C‐130J Hercules, which is thought to be a contender for the SAAF’s transport requirements.

Italy’s C‐27J Spartan, seen performing at the previous two AADs, may well make another welcome appearance and it is also on the cards, or so we believe, that SAAB may once again present its SAAB 340 maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

One wonders, too, whether Airbus Defence and Space will field a C295 maritime patrolcum‐ transport‐cum‐any‐role‐you‐may‐care‐tomention at the show, let alone its now‐in‐service giant turboprop heavy lifter, the A400M which the manufacturer is continuing to present to South Africa’s defence authorities.

Delta, 2 per cent revenue increase in 3Q, 2014

Delta Air Lines today reported financial and operating performance for August 2014.

Consolidated passenger unit revenue (PRASM) for the month of August increased 2.0 percent year over year driven by continued strength in domestic markets, which offset an estimated 1 point of negative PRASM pressure from the impact of events in Russia, the Middle East and Africa.

Delta's solid operating performance continued through August, with a monthly completion factor of 99.6 percent and an on-time arrival rate of 84.3 percent.

Source and image: Delta

WestJet, 1.4 percent traffic increase in August,2014

WestJet today announced August 2014 traffic results with an all-time record load factor of 89.3 per cent, an increase of 1.4 percentage points year over year. Revenue passenger miles (RPMs), or traffic, increased 7.4 per cent year over year, and capacity, measured in available seat miles (ASMs), grew 5.7 per cent over the same period. The airline flew a record 1.9 million guests in August, a year-over-year increase of 7.0 per cent or approximately 126,000 additional guests, and achieved an on-time performance rate of 77.6 per cent in the month, an improvement of 4.4 percentage points year over year.

"We are extremely pleased to report the highest single-month load factor in WestJet history as we saw continued strong traffic growth in August, welcoming a record 1.9 million guests on board," said WestJet President and CEO Gregg Saretsky. "My thanks go out to all WestJetters for continuing to deliver our brand of friendly caring service during this record-breaking month."

Source and image: WestJet

Nine finance hubs of the future ... they're not where you think

(CNN) -- Mention Morocco and most would first think of the exotic markets of Marrakech, the desert dotted with ancient kasbahs and, of course, the classic 1942 wartime film "Casablanca."

But Casablanca, the main port city of Morocco, is among the places being tipped by experts as emerging future global financial centers.

As the gateway between Europe and Africa, Casablanca aims to take advantage of its geographical position and also act as a hub for North, West and Central Africa, said Hicham Zegrary, director of operations and institutional affairs at the Casablanca Finance City Authority (CFCA).

The CFCA is working hard to position Casablanca as an international financial center, he said, by building its technology infrastructure and improving the legal environment in which business is done. Zegrary added that due to Morocco's many partners throughout Europe, North America and Asia, for investors "it is easier to do business with African countries from Morocco."

Since its inception four years ago, the CFCA says it has attracted over 100 companies including BNP Paribas, AIG, Clifford Chance, Silk Invest and Boston Consulting Group to name a few.

will be as good as any 
Mark Yeandle, Z/Yen Group

While Casablanca's ranking is still relatively low overall (62 out of 83) in a recent Global Financial Center Index report, it's significant that it debuted on the list and it signals a larger growth in the region.

What's more, GFCI asked international financial services professionals which cities they believed will likely become more significant in the next few years: Casablanca was the name that came up most.

"They're putting a lot of work into it there," said Mark Yeandle, associate director of Z/Yen Group, the company who published the GFCI report earlier this year on global financial centers. "They have a sensible budget and a good team," he added.

Casablanca is building its infrastructure and rebranding itself as a hub for financial services needed in Morocco, Tunis, and even further away in Lagos, Nigeria. "It (Casablanca) will be as good as any," said Yeandle.

Another newcomer and fairly unknown city is Busan, South Korea, which has traditionally operated in Seoul's shadow. It ranks 27th on the GFCI report, just behind number 26 Qatar. But it ranks second only to Casablanca as a place tipped by finance professionals as likely become more significant.

Busan has the fifth busiest port in the world, not to mention the largest department store in the world, despite the fact that many people have never even heard of it.

"Busan are putting a great deal of money and promotional activity behind their growth as a financial center," said Yeandle. "They are building a dedicated area for the center and are publicizing their focus on maritime finance and derivatives trading."

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For different reasons, another Asian future contender is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While operating relatively quietly in comparison to its southern neighbor Singapore, what sets Kuala Lumpur apart from others, says Saif Malik, managing director and head of corporate and institutional clients for Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia, is that it's quickly becoming a leading financial center for Islamic banking, which operates with a different set of rules to traditional banking.

"There is clearly a plan," said Malik. "It's not an overnight journey, but the Malaysians have realized to compete with Singapore and other long-established financial centers, they have the niche in Islamic banking."

Islamic finance has seen recent growth two to three times faster than conventional banks, according to Ernst and Young in its World Islamic Banking Competitiveness Report. The global financial crisis and strong economic growth in countries with a large Muslim population are both reasons for such progress.

Unlike neighboring Jakarta, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur stands out as having a more stable political and economic environment. Malik says the Malaysian government has made great efforts to attract a skilled workforce while at the same time working in a trusted legal environment originating from the British legal system.