Going for its retrenchment drive, private air carrier, Jet Airways sacked about 25 expatriate pilots including captains of Boeing 737 aircraft. The expatriated staff of Jet was drawing salary of USD 15,000 to 18,000 per month besides many incentives and perks such as five-star hotel accommodation and business class conveyance to their home country. Jet had, earlier, sacked around 400 support staff before Diwali but retained them after stiff opposition of government and political class.

New Delhi - Indian domestic airlines Jet airways has terminated the contracts of at least 25 expatriate pilots, news reports said Saturday.

A major hike in aviation fuel earlier this year combined with the impact of high inflation has led to a downturn in India's aviation sector and the sackings are part of an effort to cut costs and streamline operations.

The foreigners among the staff who had been sacked included captains of Boeing 737 aircraft, a Jet Airways spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI news agency. The airlines had earlier grounded five of these aircraft.

Dhaka  - British Airways will suspend its Dhaka-London passenger flights from March because of non-profitability of the route, media reported said Saturday

"The decision to suspend flights between Dhaka and London has been a difficult one to make. However, the route is not making a profitable contribution to our business and we are unable to sustain it," Amanda Amos, the airline's Area Commercial Manager for South Asia, said in a statement.

The airline, however, will continue cargo operations using connecting flights via the Middle East, said the release issued on Friday.

London- Pre-tax profits at British Airways (BA) slumped by nearly 92 per cent to just 52 million pounds (83 million dollars) over the summer period - "one of the bleakest on record" the airline said Friday.

Half-yearly profits between April and September were down from 616 million pounds for the same period in 2007 after fuel costs increased from 511 million pounds to 1.5 billion pounds, the airline said.

London - Pre-tax profits at British Airways (BA) fell by a staggering 91.6 per cent in first half of the company's financial year, figures showed Friday.

BA said pre-tax profit totalled 52 million pounds (83 million dollars), between April and September, down from 616 million pounds a year ago.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh said the period would "be remembered as one of the bleakest on record."

However, given the "difficult circumstances" under which BA had been operating, the result was acceptable.

Tokyo - Japan Airlines Corp saw its operating profit and revenues fall in the July-September quarter on high fuel prices and slowing demand for air travel amid the global economic downturn and lowered its earnings projections for the year.

Operating profit dropped 60 per cent from the same quarter a year ago to 26.31 billion yen (268.47 million dollars), and revenues were also down 6.7 per cent to 583.26 billion yen.

But net profit more than tripled in the second quarter of the fiscal year, thanks to gains from securities sales.