London, Dec 18 (ANI): A passenger has filed a lawsuit against an airline for serving him so much alcohol that led him to beat up his wife.

Yoichi Shimamoto has sued United Airlines for negligence and allowing him to drink to the point of inebriation during a flight from Osaka, Japan to San Francisco, reports the Telegraph.

The Japanese businessman claims that it was the multiple glasses of Burgundy, served at 20-minute intervals, which led him to beat his wife Ayisha, while the couple were walking through customs in December 2006.

After recent reduction in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), domestic air carriers are all set to cut air fares. Country's leading air carriers, Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways are likely to reduce fare by Rs 600 per ticket in January. Notably, Union Aviation Ministry has asked the carriers to pass the benefits of ATF cut to the customs by reducing air fares.  

Public Sector oil marketing companies today announced to cut aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices by 11 per cent following steep decline in crude oil prices in the international market. Crude oil prices fell to a four-year low of around $40 a barrel last fortnight following slow demand due to global financial crisis.

Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) contributes 50% of the operational cost of an airline. ATF demand has fallen by over 5% to 0.37 million tonnes in November as compared to a year-ago period. However, demand for petroleum products rose by 1.6% in November to 10.9 MT.

Wellington  - New Zealand's competition watchdog Commerce Commission launched legal action Monday against 13 international airlines and seven executives, accusing them of operating an illegal air freight cartel.

The commission filed papers in the Auckland High Court alleging that airlines throughout the world colluded to raise the price of freighting cargo by imposing surcharges for fuel and added security measures for more than nine years.

Indian aviation sector is passing through very tough times due to the low turn out of air passengers and global slow down. The domestic air traffic witnessed sharp decline of 21.3 percent in November. A total of 30.48 lakh people used the air services, as compared to 38.72 lakh in the November last year. It is the largest ever single month decline in air traffic in the past few years. A total of 31.8 lakh air passengers traveled in the festival season of October but the number continues to decline till now.  

Hong Kong  - Two pilots with a Hong Kong airline have been sacked for trying to take off in plane carrying 122 passengers from a taxiway rather than a runway, the airline said Sunday.

Hong Kong Airlines captain Indra Santrianto and his Argentinian First Officer Diego Martin Chiadria were dismissed over the incident Boeing 737 at Hong Kong International Airport on September 13.

An air traffic controller raised the alarm when he saw the plane bound for Cheong Ju in Korea speeding along the taxiway and alerted the cockpit crew in time for them to abort take-off.