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World Business Quick Take

■ Airlines
BA flights back on track
British Airways said it aimed to operate 95 percent of its long-haul flights at London's Heathrow airport yesterday, while short-haul flights should be back to normal following a wildcat strike last week. "The Heathrow shorthaul operation should return to normal on Monday, with plans to operate 100 percent of flights," the global air carrier said on its Web site (www.ba.com). "This return to normal for UK and European flights is a day earlier than originally envisaged. The longhaul operation is also returning to normal with plans to operate over 95 percent of flights for the next couple of days." British Airways had said on Sunday that it expected a return to normal by tomorrow at the earliest, due to the after-effects of last Thursday and Friday's strike.

■ Computers
Asia-Pacific PC sales rise
Personal computer (PC) sales in the Asia-Pacific outside of Japan increased by 18 percent to 18.8 million units in the first six months of this year from a year ago, fueled by record sales of laptops and tablet-sized computers, an industry report said yesterday. Technology research house Gartner said combined sales of laptops and tablet-sized increased 40.4 percent to a record 3.9 million units in the January-June period as falling prices and a wider variety of models enticed buyers. "Aggressive pricing strategies and the sheer range of models available have really opened up the market for mobile PCs in the Asia-Pacific region," said Lillian Tay, principal analyst in the client platforms group at Gartner. Mobile PCs, which comprise laptops and tablet-sized computers, accounted for 21 percent of overall computer sales in the six months to June, up from 18 percent last year.

■ Aviation
Airlines could lose licenses
Four Thai airlines may have their licenses revoked by aviation regulators as competition and high fuel prices threaten to put them out of business, the Nation reported, citing an industry source it didn't identify. Thailand's civil aviation authority is expected to cancel licenses issued about five years ago to Angel Airline, Thai Pacific, Thai Jet and Air Andaman, four of 10 airline permits issued under a government initiative to open the country's skies to greater competition, the paper said. Record high fuel prices and intensifying competition from low-cost carriers may have made it unfeasible for the airlines to continue operating, the report said. Angel Airline and Air Andaman are the only two of the four flying, the paper said.

■ Retail
Carrefour shares rise
Shares in Carrefour, the world's second-largest retailer, rose sharply in early trade in Paris yesterday on a report that it had established contacts with number one Wal-Mart of the US. The hike came despite Carrefour's denial on Sunday of a British newspaper report that it had held talks with Wal-Mart. The Mail on Sunday reported that Wal-Mart chief executive Lee Scott and Carrefour supervisory board chairman Luc Vandevelde had met in Versailles, west of Paris, within the last month. It did not name its source but added that "industry sources" had said late last week that Wal-Mart was contemplating a full takeover of Carrefour. The newspaper report said any potential deal with Carrefour would be expected to attract the immediate attention of Britain's leading supermarket chain Tesco, which is also said to be keen to build its international presence.

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