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.

Hong Kong - A flight attendant with Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific has been prosecuted for stealing 168 items from the plane's trolley on a single flight, a news report said Saturday.

Kwong Man-fong, 43, stole items including biscuits, beer, mineral water, chocolates, red wine, a sewing kit, pens, noodles and shaving cream on the flight from Auckland to Hong Kong on July 27.

Following a similar move by Jet Airways, Vijay Mallya-controlled Kingfisher Airlines announced that it would pay a 3 percent commission on the total ticket price to travel agents.

A Kingfisher spokesman stated that the commission would come into effect from Friday (Dec 12).

The spokesperson also said that Kingfisher has also backed away its transaction charge on tickets, which was introduced following the abolishment of a 5% commission to travel agents on October 31.

Low tariff air carrier, Jet Airways has agreed to pay 3% commission on airfares to travel agents. Earlier, air carriers had stopped to pay 5 per cent commission to travel agents from November 1. The decision has come after agents have stopped to sell air tickets of Jet Airways (India) Ltd. Other air lines including Kingfisher Airlines Ltd and state-run National Aviation Co. of India Ltd (Nacil) are expected to follow the suit in a couple of days.

Bangkok  - Laos has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean firm Boon Young to conduct a feasibility study on their construction of a new international airport for the capital Vienti

London  - A protest by environmental protestors Monday closed down London's Stansted airport, causing severe delays for passengers due to arrive and depart from the city's third-biggest airport used mainly by budget airlines on European routes.

More than 50 supporters of Plane Stupid, a climate action group, blocked the single runway at Stansted, north-east of London, as passenger queues grew longer and planes were diverted.