Seattle/New York - US airplane manufacturer Boeing again postponed the test flight of its new flagbearer, the 787 Dreamliner, the financial news television channel CNBC reported Tuesday, although Boeing said such a decision had not been made.

After an almost-two-month-long machinists' strike that just ended, the test flight of this long-haul plane will not take place before the end of the year, as Boeing had planned, according to the report.

A Boeing spokesman stressed, however, that there had been no such decision.

Singapore - Singapore and Kuwait have concluded an Open Skies Agreement (OSA), allowing for full flexibility on air services by carriers from both countries, officials announced Tuesday.

Under the new agreement, Singapore carriers may now operate any number of flights between Singapore and points in Kuwait, as well as beyond Kuwait to any other city in the world.

Similarly, Kuwait carriers will be able to operate any number of flights to and beyond Singapore, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said.

A Memorandum of Understanding on Air Services between the two governments was signed Tuesday at the at the Seif Palace in Kuwait City.

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London - Leading budget airline Ryanair said Monday the steep rise in the oil price had led to a 47-per-cent fall in net profits in the six months to the end of September.

The Irish carrier said net profits between April and September stood at 169 million pounds (277 million dollars).

Chief executive Michael O'Leary said he was confident the profits would recover if the oil price, currently at 80 US dollars a barrel, continued to fall.

"We have a significant cost advantage over our competitors many of whom have hedged fuel next year at significantly higher levels than current market prices," O'Leary said Monday.

London, November 3: British Airways staff have launched a scathing attack on passengers, whom they have branded "smelly and annoying" on a Facebook page created by "London Gatwick Ground Staff".

The staff’s hatred for travellers manifests itself in the comments on the Facebook page, which suggest that passengers put boarding passes in their mouths before handing them over at the departure gate.

While one staff member has slammed smelly passengers and celebrity fliers, another has criticised Americans.

Taipei - Beijing has agreed in principle to allow Taiwan airlines to fly over China to other countries, which will boost Taiwan airlines' international competitiveness, a newspaper reported Monday.

The Commercial Times, quoting an unnamed source, said that China has agreed in principle to approve Taiwan airlines' requests to fly over China's airspace en route to other countries, which will save time and fuel on flights to Europe.

If China grants the fly-over rights, or "first freedom rights," it could cut Taiwan airlines' routes to and from Europe by four hours.