Airline briefs

Qantas has applied for the right to increase its services to the UK from 21 to 28 a week.
• Jetstar will become only the second carrier in the world to introduce SMS bookings.
• Australian Airlines said it will fly twice weekly direct flights to Japanese ski resort Sapporo from Sydney and the Gold Coast via Cairns, subject to government approval, from November 3 to March 26.
• Virgin Blue has been named OAG Best Low Cost Airline of the Year for 2004.
• Air Pacific will operate Canberra’s first direct international scheduled service when it adds 118 seat 737-700 Canberra-Nadi Sunday and Thursday services in the July-October winter period.
• Singapore Airlines new A340-500 aircraft will introduce a special corpse cupboard for passengers who die enroute.
• A $10m offer for Skywest Airlines from Singapore-based Captive Vision Capital is under discussion.
• Singapore Airlines said it will increase flights between Brisbane and Singapore by three per week to 17 nonstop services from the beginning of November.
• ATR said Air Tahiti had ordered five -500 series ATR aircraft – one ATR 42-500 and four ATR 72-500s with two options – to renew and increase its fleet and extend its inter-island network.
• Air NZ said it will start flying nonstop between Christchurch and Los Angeles three times a week from November.
• Virgin Blue will begin direct flights between Hobart and Sydney in September.