The officers says that due to the supplementary airline favour, a rush of visitors is being seen on San Francisco International Airport this summer, the temptation of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the formal set of regular vacationers.

Douglas Lyon, airport duty manager says SFO entertains about 40,000 visitors in its normal evening swing shift, out of nearly 100,000 visitors daily. This week the figures are nearly 5 percent better with the focus of July 4, holiday returns, All-Star Game affairs and visitors categorized for a holiday.

 "There were lots of people here just to see if they could catch any players and get some autographs," says Lyon. "And that"s not counting the busy summer we"ve already been having".

A good news for the passengers arriving at Dubai International Airport.  The visitors arriving even during the busiest hours will now be able to breeze through with the help of the "Ahlan" arrival assistance service launched by the Department of Civil Aviation of Dubai.

Nominal charges are to be paid by the passengers to avail this service. The service starts moment the passenger gets off the plane all the way to the meeting point for meeters-and-greeters. Passengers using the service are received immediately after deplaning by an Ahlan escort, who then guides them directly to the dedicated Ahlan Lounge.

While the passengers relax with tea, coffee or soft beverages at the plush lounge, Ahlan staff have their immigration procedure completed. The passengers are then guided to the baggage carousel where the Ahlan escort collects their luggage and leads them to the Customs check area. Following the customs check, passengers are then escorted to the meeting point where well-wishers finally receive them.

Virgin Atlantic is all set to start a new course on Flying Without Fear (FWF) at Bournemouth airport on the 22 July 2007.  The aim of this course is to build confidence among sufferers to overcome their fear while flying. 

There is no denying the fact that anyone who flies even someone not afraid of flying understands that there is always some chance of an accident, just as with any life activity.

But everyone knows that in reality very few accidents happen in aviation because pilots are specifically trained to stay calm and to think clearly in an emergency and they are trained to handle just about every emergency imaginable. This particular course includes an optional 45 minute flight journey at the end of the course. 

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was awarded first prize in the category of airports with annual passenger numbers exceeding 25 million. Ad Rutten, Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer of Schiphol Group received the prize during ACI Europe Best Airport Award 2007 ceremony in Zurich. Nominated airports were judged on five criteria, namely; retail, security, facilities, community relationship, environmental awareness and service.

An Airport City is today envisaged as a dynamic environment in which people and businesses, logistics and shops, information and entertainment come together and strengthen each other. Not only is it an efficient, multi-modal transport hub boasting air, rail and road links, it is also a location which offers its visitors and the (international) businesses established there all the services they require, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Ad Rutten said, " Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is an innovative airport and highlights that we focus on more than just passengers and airlines. We also focus on the community and our environment."

Always first with something new, this time once again, Dubai International Airport is gearing up to attract more than 600,000 special needs tourists this year. The Airport will soon open 20 check-in counters for people with special needs. The initiative aims at encouraging special needs tourism in the emirate which received more than 6.5 million hotel guests in 2006.  New investment on infrastructure is under way and enhanced services are being introduced to make the airport more user-friendly for tourists with special needs. 

The facilities include 20 dedicated immigration counters and a separate route for special needs travellers to go straight to the security lounge, avoiding the entire crowd.  This specially designated route will be equipped with ATM counters, refreshment counters and other facilities tailored only for people with special needs. It will make Dubai International Airport �"the most- friendly airport for special needs visitors�" in the Middle East.

Dubai has always encouraged such practices in the past and with the result, today, they are one of the most preferred destinations among visitors.   These facilities will encourage such travellers who normally have the phobia of taking care at the arrival lounge of the airports.  In 2005, the DCA had around 300,000 requests for wheelchairs at the airport. The figure rose to 400,000 last year and in 2007 it is expecting it to top 600,000.  The DIA will also have three additional car parking areas dedicated to people with special needs.

A giant chalk figurer of a pole dancing is causing controversy in the UK. The figure has been cut into the chalk in a field below a common flight path into LondonÂ's Gatwick Airport.

It is only visible from the air, but is still causing offence and will more than likely disappear soon.

Interestingly, it will end up reaching a far wider audience than the relatively limited number of passengers gazing out of their windows, as passenger photos do the rounds of cyberspace as well as airspace!