Hong Kong  - Cathay Pacific Airways on Friday announced it was putting a 4.8-billion-Hong-Kong-dollar (620-million-US-dollar) project for a new Hong Kong cargo terminal on hold because of the economic downturn which has hit profits, cargo and passenger numbers.

A spokesman said that the Hong Kong Airport Authority had agreed to let its subsidiary company Cathay Pacific Services Ltd defer the completion of the new terminal by two years to mid-2013.

Wellington  - Nearly 650 New Zealanders snapped up super cheap airfares as low as 50 New Zealand dollars (about 27 US dollars) for flights to Europe in September after a data inputting error on the website of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, a report said Friday.

The watchdog dog Commerce Commission rebuked the airline for taking more than four hours to correct the mistake and said it should have better systems in place.

London  - The British government approved the construction of a third runway for London's Heathrow Airport, a controversial decision likely to trigger protests from environmentalists, a news report said Thursday.

Ministers gave the go-ahead the project, which is backed by many businesses and unions, saying it will create jobs and improve Heathrow's competitiveness, the BBC reported, adding that the Labour government was to officially confirm the decision later in the day.

The global financial crisis has adversely impacted the Indian aviation sector and it has posted 5 per cent decrease in domestic air traffic for the calendar year 2008. About
411 lakh people used air services in 2008 as compared to 433 lakh in 2007. Number of air travelers posted negative growth rate first time in last six years.

High air fares and low customer spending affected the airline industry during the period. Almost all leading air lines posted negative passenger growth rate except low cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet and south-based Paramount.

London - The