All Entries Tagged With: "Aviation"

British Airways Announce High Rolling Route from Gatwick to Vegas

British Airways is launching another new high rolling route from Gatwick with the start of flights to Las Vegas from October 29 2012.

The three-times-a-week service will be operated by a three-class Boeing 777 offering a premium Club World cabin with fully flat beds.

The new Gatwick route offers more choice and frequency from London airports. Together with the Heathrow service British Airways will operate 10 flights a week to Las Vegas.

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ head of commercial Gatwick, said: “Las Vegas has proved to be an incredibly popular year-round destination from Heathrow so we are delighted to now be able to offer the route from Gatwick as well.

“This is the kind of destination our leisure customers at Gatwick are looking for and it will complement our existing USA and longhaul leisure network.”

Customers can book holidays in Las Vegas for less by booking their flights, hotels and experiences together. Home to sumptuous spas, luxury hotels and many excellent attractions, Las Vegas is the perfect place to enjoy luxury holidays.

British Airways has a wide range of top hotels in Las Vegas on the strip available, from the three-star Riviera Hotel and Casino which has just completed a multi million dollar renovation to the famous and luxurious Bellagio. The five-star hotel treats guests to sweeping views of the magnificent lake and classical gardens while five-star The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino recreates the glory of Venice and has suites nearly twice the size as a typical Las Vegas hotel room. The five-star Aria Resort and Casino, located in the heart of the City Centre, combines architecture with sustainable design and five-star The Wynn Resort Las Vegas provides gastronomic options for every taste.

Las Vegas is a hotspot of activity out in the Nevada desert. Customers looking for things to do in Las Vegas as an alternative to the casinos and shows will not be disappointed by amazing helicopter rides over the Las Vegas Strip or the Grand Canyon or visiting the impressive Hoover Dam, built during the Great Depression.

Bookings for flights from London Gatwick to Las Vegas can be made now at ba.com.

Ukraine Unveils New Airport in Donetsk

Country officials open the renewed terminal at Donetsk international airport in Ukraine just in time for EURO 2012. The renewed airport boasts a seven-storey terminal capable of servicing up to 3,100 passengers per hour (previously – 700), reads the statement by Ukraine’s Infrastructure Ministry.

Donetsk airport recently introduced an artificial runway suitable for all types of airplanes, including the heavy Boeing 747 and Airbus A380. It boasts the tallest in the country 52 meter control tower. The International Civil Aviation Organization granted the airport the ICAO III A category, allowing it to accept landings at zero visibility conditions.

“At the beginning of the 1930s the constructors of this airport had no idea what a high technology site it would grow into,” said the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych at the opening ceremony on May 14 ^th. The Airport’s renewed infrastructure will help manage the increasing number of passengers arriving in the eastern Ukrainian city for EURO 2012.

Ukrainian state budget contributed USD 758 million into the Donetsk airport reconstruction. Additionally, private investments and local budget funded the construction. Curiously, in November of 2011 the airport was named after renowned classical composer Serhiy Prokofiev, who originated from Donetsk.

EURO 2012 triggered reconstruction works at Kyiv and Lviv airports, while Donetsk and Kharkiv ones were built from scratch. In 2012 western Ukrainian EURO 2012 host Lviv opened a new terminal. It services up to 2,100 persons per hour. Interestingly, Budapest airport has the channel capacity of 970 persons per hour (8.5 million a year).

The Airport in Kharkiv boasts a new 2.5 kilometer runway (allowing the airport to service Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 landings), renewed infrastructure, and a terminal. New terminal F at Boryspil airport in Kyiv has a waiting zone of 5,670 square meters and capacity of 2,400 passengers per hour. Comparably, the waiting area in Moscow’s Domodedovo airport is 2,900 square meters.

Final renovations are under way at Kyiv airports Zhuliany and Boryspil. In May 2012 Zhuliany will get a new terminal with a total area of 14,270 square meters and channel capacity of 320 persons per hour. In June 2012 Boryspil will open additional terminal D, servicing over 20 planes at a time. Currently, Boryspil operates 62 percent of passenger traffic in the country.

15th ANNIVERSARY PROMOTION

 Fly Around the World for Less with Star Alliance’s 15 Per Cent Off All Economy Class Round the World Fares

FRANKFURT, Germany – May 14^th, 2012 – As part of its 15^th Anniversary celebrations, the Star Alliance network is offering a 15 per cent discount on all Round the World (RTW) Economy Class fares. This special promotion is valid for all RTW tickets in Economy Class sold from May 15^th to May 29^th, 2012. The discount is applicable on the base fare only and not on fees, taxes and surcharges which vary by routing.

15 years after its founding, the Star Alliance network has grown to 25 member airlines offering more than 20,500 daily flights to 1,293 airports in 190 countries, thereby providing globetrotters an unparalleled choice of flight connections and destinations. RTW fares in their current form have to a large extent been made possible by airline alliances, as no single airline is in a position to offer a fare which allows truly global travel.

The Star Alliance network offers four Economy Class RTW fare levels which allow customers to travel distances of up to either 26,000, 29,000, 34,000 or 39,000 miles. The circumference of the Earth measured at the Equator is approximately 24,901 miles and the fare levels offered allow the customer to select the mileage requirement which best suits their personal travel needs. Actual fares vary by market and in general offer better value for money than purchasing individual one-way tickets on separate airlines to cover the same itinerary. Children between the age of two and 11 pay 75% of the applicable adult fare, while infants under two who do not occupy a seat can be taken along for ten per cent of the applicable adult fare.

Customers can build their own routings within the mileage limits of the different fare levels. Travel needs to commence and end in the same country, be one directional either going East or West and include a trans-Atlantic and a trans-Pacific crossing. 24 hour stops must be made in at least three cities and the itinerary may include between two and 12 additional stops (total number of stops are dependent on the actual fare type). Further information can be found at: www.staralliance.com/en/fares/round-the-world-fare/. This page also leads to the Star Alliance Book and Fly tool (www.staralliance.com/en/booking/book-and-fly/#), which allows online booking and ticketing for the RTW fare. As an alternative, customers can also contact any of the 25 Star Alliance member airlines or a travel agency.

In addition to the Economy Class fares, Star Alliance network also offers RTW tickets for travel in First or Business class, which are not part of the special promotion. In total, the Star Alliance network offers 15 different fare products, including three Circle Fares and 11 Regional Airpasses.

Emirates Group announces 24th consecutive year of profit

• Group records AED 2.3 billion (US$ 629 million) net profit
• Emirates reaches 34 million passenger milestone
• 11 new destinations and 22 new aircraft added to Emirates operations
• dnata achieves record profit of AED 808 million (US$ 220 million)

DUBAI, U.A.E.,10th May 2012: The Emirates Group has today announced its 24th consecutive year of profit and companywide growth amidst unprecedented economic pressure and record high fuel prices.

Released today in the Group’s 2011-12 Annual Report the company posted a AED 2.3 billion (US$ 629 million) net profit, with dnata marking its highest ever profit in 52 years of operation. Despite fundamental challenges, the Group’s revenue reached a record high, climbing to AED 67.4 billion (US$ 18.4 billion) an increase of 17.8 percent on last year’s results. The Group’s cash balance grew by 9.5 percent reaching a strong AED 17.6 billion (US$ 4.8 billion).

“Achieving our 24th consecutive year of profit and maintaining an upward growth trajectory is an achievement that belies the industry norm,’ said His Highness (H.H) Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

“Throughout the 2011-12 financial year the Group has collectively invested close to AED 14 billion (US$ 3.8 billion) in new products. This investment has garnered new customers and increased our international presence. Successful business growth is not a matter of luck, it is the result of sustained and calculated investment. Every dirham that we earn is strategically ploughed back into our business and it is this foresight that has allowed the Group to maintain such strong and consistent profitability.”

Despite a difficult operating environment, the Group continued to invest in and expand on its employee base, increasing its overall staff count by more than 10 percent.

During the year Emirates received a staggering 22 new aircraft, its highest in any single year, funded by a wide variety of financing structures.  With an increased fleet, Emirates further invested in its network by adding 11 new destinations and increasing capacity to 34 cities, a record for the airline.

“Managing volatile exchange rates, coupled with our highest ever fuel bill has required immense tenacity. Retaining growth and remaining profitable in these challenging economic times shows our profound understanding of the markets that we do business in,” added Sheikh Ahmed.

Reaching a record profit, dnata stayed true to its proven acquisition strategy, gaining a majority stake in online travel agency, Travel Republic Ltd and a 50 percent interest in Wings Inflight Services in South Africa. Importantly the results for 2011-12 highlight that 55 percent of dnata’s revenue is derived from its international operations, an increase of 17 percentage points over last year.

In the 2011-12 financial year Emirates’ fuel bill increased by 44.4 percent over last year to reach AED 24.3 billion (US$ 6.6 billion). With operating costs increasing by 24 percent compared to a revenue increase of 16.2 percent over last year, Emirates bore the brunt of the crippling cost of fuel for nearly one year, before reluctantly introducing a fuel surcharge on all tickets.

In addition to the cost of fuel Emirates had an operationally challenging year with the political unrest across the Middle East and North Africa affecting flight schedules. By keeping a tight focus on operations and modifying capacity and schedules Emirates was able to maintain profitability.

“In the last five years, Emirates’ capacity measured in Available Seat Kilometres, has increased by almost 100 percent facilitating new trade links and creating a new flow of passenger traffic. Being the first to capitalise on these new opportunities has allowed us to gain a distinct competitive advantage, one that we intend to maintain,” said Sheikh Ahmed.

Highlighting its sound financials, Emirates launched its highly successful US$ 1 billion bond in June last year and despite many traditional financing partners suffering from the Eurozone debt crisis, the bond was well received by global investors reflecting confidence in the Emirates business model. In addition to this, Emirates repaid a Singapore Dollar 250 million bond in full that matured in June 2011. The bond, listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, was originally issued in 2006 with a five year term.

“We move into the new financial year with cautious optimism, navigating our way through the difficult economic climate with a clear vision for our continued success. We understand that succeeding in this industry requires determination and we are unapologetic about our drive to be the best.”

“We are never complacent, always striving for perfection and always acutely aware that we things can be done better. Customers’ expectations only get higher and it is up to us to ensure that we move upwards with them. With the help of our 63,000 strong multicultural workforce we have no doubt that the years ahead will again be more profitable than the last,” added Sheikh Ahmed.

Emirates revenue reached a record high of AED 62.3 billion (US$ 17 billion) growing by 14.9 percent when compared to the 2010-11 financial year. Despite this strong revenue growth, the stifling cost of jet fuel impacted Emirates’ bottom line with the airline’s profit sitting significantly lower than the previous year at AED 1.5 billion (US$ 409 million) representing a decrease of 72.1 percent over last year’s record results.

Carrying a record 34 million passengers, an increase of 8 percent, Emirates logged a robust Passenger Seat Factor, at 80.0 percent, remaining consistent with last year’s results. With an increase in seat capacity – Available Seat Kilometres (ASKMs) of 9.8 percent the result highlights a strong consumer desire to fly on Emirates’ state-of-the-art aircraft.

Passenger yield increased by 7.8 percent to 30.5 fils (8.3 US cents) per Revenue Passenger Kilometre (RPKM), up from 28.3 fils (7.7 US cents) in 2010-11.

Revenue generated from across Emirates’ six regions continues to be well balanced, with no region contributing more than 30 percent of overall revenues. East Asia and Australasia remained the highest revenue contributing region with AED 18.2 billion (US$ 5.0 billion) up 17.6 percent from 2010-11. Europe, up 18.2 percent to AED 17.1 billion (US$ 4.6 billion) and the Americas up 21.3 percent to AED 6.7 billion (US$ 1.8 billion) also saw significant growth, reflecting new destinations as well as increased frequency and capacity to these regions.

Across the rest of the globe Emirates saw strong revenue increases from West Asia and the Indian Ocean up 10.6 percent to AED 7.1 billion (US$ 1.9 billion), Gulf, Middle East and Iran up 15.1 percent to AED 6.3 billion (US$ 1.7 billion) and Africa with AED 6.1 billion (US$ 1.7 billion) in revenue, up 9.5 percent.

In contrast to the global economic environment Emirates witnessed an upward trend in its premium class seat factor for a second year, up 1.9 percentage points from 2010-11. Premium and overall seat factor for the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft sat even higher, highlighting a continued demand in the product from passengers.

Outside of the UAE, Emirates has continued to invest in the markets that it serves, playing a pivotal role in job creation within the US and Europe through its significant aircraft orders. At the Dubai Airshow Emirates announced an order for an additional 50 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, and 20 777-300 ER options valued at US$ 26 billion (AED 95.4 billion). This recent order, in addition to engine orders for American-made GE90 engines, is expected to support over 100,000 skilled American jobs, injecting billions into the local US economy.

With a further 232 aircraft on order worth over US$ 84 billion, combined with the airline’s increasing worldwide passenger traffic, Emirates’ is set to continue to drive considerable economic growth in the countries that it serves.

Forging ahead with its intricately planned expansion, Emirates received 22 new aircraft during the year including 14 Boeing 777-300ERs, two Boeing 777Fs and six A380s from Airbus, the highest number of aircraft received in a single year of operation. With an increased fleet, Emirates launched 11 new destinations in 2011-12 including a strong focus on North America and South America in the final quarter with Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Seattle and Dallas-Fort Worth all launching between January and March 2012.

In addition to these new destinations Emirates added much needed capacity to 34 cities including; Manchester, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Khartoum, Lahore and Tunis. Looking forward to 2012-13, Emirates has to date announced four new routes including Ho Chi Minh City, Barcelona, Lisbon and Washington D.C.

New A380 destinations for the airline in 2011-12 included; Munich, Rome, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Johannesburg bringing the total number of A380 destinations to 17. In the coming financial year Emirates will launch a further three A380 destinations including: Melbourne, Tokyo and Amsterdam. A total of 20 of Emirates A380’s have also now been equipped with on-board Wi-Fi to allow continuous connectivity for passengers.

To further improve on-board communication for our passengers Emirates has enabled its fleet of Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft and over 50 Boeing 777s with the AeroMobile phone service, permitting passengers to make phone calls during their flight.

Continuing its customer focus Emirates opened four new dedicated airport lounges during the year including; San Francisco, Istanbul, Colombo and a fourth new lounge in Dubai, bringing the total number of Emirates lounges to 32. Globally Emirates extended its lauded Chauffeur-drive service to a number of new cities such as Chennai and Bangkok, in addition to enhancing its existing Chauffeur-drive product in the UAE  by introducing 46 Mercedes E200 cars for its First Class passengers.

Bucking the industry trend, the 2011-12 financial year has been a strong one for Emirates SkyCargo with revenues of AED 9.5 billion (US$ 2.6 billion) an 8.4 percent increase on last year on account of an increase in freight tonnage and freight yield per Freight Tonne Kilometre (FTKM) which rose by 5.4 percent.

With the bulk of the cargo industry reporting downward tonnage, Emirates SkyCargo’s tonnage increase of 1.7 percent reaching 1,796 thousand tonnes showcases its persistence to grow revenues against the industry norm.

Contributing 16.2 percent of Emirates’ total transport revenue Emirate SkyCargo continues to play an integral role in the company’s expanding operations.
At the end of the financial year, Emirates SkyCargo freighter fleet was eight – two on wet lease and six on operating lease.

Emirates’ Destination and Leisure Management (D&LM) division saw revenue of AED 245 million (US$ 66.8 million) during the year, an increase of 8.4 percent over last year.

In the 52 years of dnata, 2011-12 has been its most successful yet. With an increase of 58.9 percent over last year, dnata grew its revenue to AED 7 billion (US$ 1.9 billion). Overall profit for dnata also reached its highest ever point at AED 808 million (US$ 220 million).

During the year, dnata’s operating costs increased by 58.9 percent to AED 6.2 billion (US$ 1.7 billion), primarily triggered by the first full integration of Alpha Group.

For the first time, dnata’s largest revenue stream has come from in-flight catering, accounting for AED 2.5 billion (US$ 668 million) of its total revenue. The single largest factor in this revenue shift is the full year inclusion of Alpha Flight Group who uplifted over 48 million meals during the year.

Revenue from dnata’s airport operations increased by 17.2 percent reaching AED 2.3 billion (US$ 632 million) to make the second largest revenue stream behind inflight catering. The increase is due primarily to increased volumes at Dubai and Singapore airports.

dnata’s cargo handling division also witnessed upward growth with revenues increasing by 12.6 percent to AED 993 million (US$ 271 million) on account of increased tonnage at Dubai International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport. Increased cargo volumes at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central saw dnata handle 3.3 percent more cargo.

Complementing its growth and expansion, dnata underwent a comprehensive brand refresh throughout the year, incorporating the different businesses of dnata under the unifying ‘One dnata’ umbrella. With staff across 39 countries, the ‘One dnata’ message has been fully embraced by its 20,000 strong workforce.

As of 31st March 2012, the Group and its subsidiaries employed 63,000 staff, representing over 160 different nationalities. The full 2011-12 Annual Report of the Emirates Group – comprising Emirates, dnata and their subsidiary companies – is available on:www.theemiratesgroup.com/annualresults

World’s most misleadingly named airports revealed by Skyscanner

Paris-Vatry Disney is the latest ‘ambiguous’ airport to be added to Ryanair’s list of destinations, Skyscanner reports that it’s far from being the only misleadingly named airport out there.

With both ‘Paris’ and ‘Disney’ in the name, travellers might expect the airport to be located in the vicinity of either the French capital or Euro Disney. However, at 93 miles from Paris’ city centre, and 70 miles from Europe’s ‘Magic Kingdom’, Paris-Vatry Disney sets a new record in misleading airport nomenclature.

Many budget airlines use ‘secondary’ airports because of the lower operational costs compared to more central airports, which allows them to offer cheaper flights. However, some carriers have come under fire for giving airports misleading names, considering they can be miles away from the city they claim to serve.

Munich’s Memmingen airport is 70 miles from central Munich, Oslo Torp is 68 miles from central Oslo, and new easyJet base, London Southend, is 40 miles from the city centre (the same distance as London Stansted is from central London).

Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner Travel Editor, commented:

“Depending on your final destination, regional airports can be very convenient, but travellers wanting to reach city centre locations must factor in the time and transport costs of using a regional airport, and compare them to a more central airport. If you fly to an airport with Paris in its name, you would expect it to be somewhere near Paris, but 93 miles isn’t what most would call close. It’s the equivalent of wanting to fly to London, but actually landing in Northampton.”

Most misleadingly named airports

1. Paris-Vatry (Disney) – 93 miles (150km) from central Paris (and 70 miles (112km) from Disneyland Paris)
2. Munich West (Memmingen) – 70 miles (112km) from central Munich
3. Oslo (Torp) – 68 miles (110km) from central Oslo
4. Frankfurt (Hahn) – 68 miles (110km) from central Frankfurt
5. London (Oxford) – 60 miles (97km) from central London
6. Stockholm  (Skavsta) – 59 miles (95km) from central  Stockholm
7. Barcelona (Girona) – 58 miles (94km) from central  Barcelona
8. Barcelona (Reus) – 58 miles (94km) from central Barcelona
9. Paris (Beauvais ) – 55miles (88km) from central Paris
10. Dusseldorf (Weeze) – 50 miles (80 km) from central Dusseldorf
11. London (Stansted) – 40 miles (64km) from central London
12. London (Southend) – 40 miles (64km) from central London
13. Tokyo (Narita) – 37 miles (60km) from central Tokyo
14. Verona (Brescia) – 33 miles (53km) from central Verona
15. Glasgow (Prestwick) – 32 miles (51km) from central Glasgow

Airports which really do serve their cites

1. Taipei Sungshan Airport – 3 miles (5km) from central Taipei
2. Salt Lake City Airport – 3 miles (5km) from central Salt Lake City
3. San Diego Airport – 3 miles (5km) from central San Diego
4. Tallinn Airport – 3 miles (5km) from central Tallinn
5. Belfast (George Best) – 3 miles (5km) from central Belfast
6. Wellington Airport – 4 miles (7km) from central Wellington
7. Honolulu Airport – 4 miles (7km) from central Honolulu
8. Lisbon Airport – 4 miles (7km) from central Lisbon
9. Bucharest Otopeni Airport – 4 miles (7km) from central Bucharest
10. Mexico City Juarez International – 4 miles (7km) from central Mexico
11. Cagliari Airport – 5 miles (9km) from central Cagliari
12. London City Airport – 6 miles (10km) from central London
13. Warsaw Airport – 6 miles (10km) from central Warsaw
14. Vancouver Airport – 8 miles (13km) from central Vancouver
15. Edinburgh Airport- 8 miles (13km) from central Edinburgh

BER opening postponed

Decision in the interest of travellers: getting the airport stably on stream

Berlin, 8 May 2012 – Flughafen Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH announced today that the new airport Berlin Brandenburg (BER) will not open on schedule on 3 June. Technical problems in the field of fire protection engineering make a postponement indispensable.

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, stresses: “This is a responsible decision. In the interest of the tourism and convention destination Berlin a launch of BER on a safe and comfortable basis is better than a possibly bumpy start, which impairs the arrival and departure of our guests.”

Kieker continues: “What we now expect is a calm approach and an opening date which will demonstrate the full qualities of the new airport.”

Berlin can be easily reached through the existing airports Schönefeld and Tegel; all flights to and from Berlin can be carried out as scheduled. At the beginning of the year Berlin recorded a double-digit growth in room nights, and visitBerlin expects a further positive development during the months to come.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!

U.K.-based airline Virgin Atlantic will officially launch its new nonstop route between London and Vancouver on May 24.

Expected to join the inaugural flight – due to touch down at Vancouver International Airport at 1:10 pm – is Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Group. Flights will depart from Heathrow Airport four times a week between May 24 and October 27, with an estimated 40,000 passengers projected to use the service during its first season.

The new route is expected to increase capacity from the U.K. to Vancouver by 10 percent and add $54 million in annual revenue to Vancouver’s tourism market.

First Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 arrives in Frankfurt

Queen of the Skies with new Lufthansa Business Class / First scheduled flight on 1 June from Frankfurt to Washington

The new Queen of the Skies has arrived in Frankfurt. Today Lufthansa became the first airline in the world to take delivery of a Boeing 747-8. After the handover at Boeing’s manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington, the new “Jumbo” with the registration D-ABYA performed a touch and go at Hamburg Airport, where Lufthansa Technik is based, before flying on to its future home base in Frankfurt, where it landed safely.

On 1 June, the world’s first passenger flight with a Boeing 747-8 aircraft will depart from Frankfurt as flight LH 418 bound for Washington Dulles International Airport in the US capital, Washington DC.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental to our long-haul fleet. In future we will offer our passengers on board this completely newly developed long-haul aircraft an exclusive travel experience and the comfort of our new Business Class. The Boeing 747-8 is characterised by lower noise emissions, lower fuel consumption and significantly reduced CO2 emissions. That enables us to combine maximum comfort with sustainability,” Lufthansa Executive Board member Carsten Spohr said at the large reception held at Frankfurt Airport.

“We are proud to celebrate this important milestone together with Lufthansa, our partner of more than 50 years and the launch customer for the new 747-8 Intercontinental,” said         Elizabeth Lund, Vice President and General Manager 747, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Lufthansa has contributed greatly to this new and efficient aircraft. And Lufthansa passengers will experience a new level of comfort on the 747-8 Intercontinental, which is truly the Queen of the Skies for the 21st century.”

When the new 747-8 enters scheduled service on 1 June 2012, Lufthansa passengers will have their first opportunity to experience the new Business Class. The new seat offers exceptional comfort for passengers in a sitting or recumbent position, intuitive adjustment features, additional storage space and an individual entertainment system with much larger, 15-inch screens. At the press of a button, the seat converts into a comfortable bed with a horizontal sleeping surface measuring 1.98 metres in length. The aircraft also features an entirely new seating arrangement in the form of a “V”. Two neighbouring seats are angled towards one another along a central axis. This virtually doubles the distance at shoulder level between the seats, giving Business Class passengers even more privacy.

For the first time, First Class passengers will be seated in the front section of the main deck, the quietest part of the aircraft. On the B747-8, this area is exceptionally quiet – thanks to the outer skin insulation, sound-absorbing curtains, which minimise specific noises, and the sound-deadening material used in the aircraft flooring. Each of the eight First Class seats can be converted into a lie-flat bed, which is 2.07 metres long and 80 cm wide, enabling passengers to enjoy a deep, relaxing sleep. With the new Business Class, the exclusive First Class and the refined design of the Economy Class seat, the new Jumbo offers passengers in all classes the ultimate in travel comfort.

The Boeing 747-8 is a completely new aircraft that builds upon the positive features of the Boeing 747 series, which has been Lufthansa’s long-haul workhorse for the past 40 years. The aircraft boasts significantly improved aerodynamics and newly developed wingtips, and also provides tangible improvements in terms of eco-efficiency. The Gent GEnx-2B engines use less fuel and achieve a substantial 15 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions per passenger. In addition, noise emissions have been reduced by 30 per cent.

The Boeing 747-8 is 76.3 metres long, 5.6 metres longer than its predecessor, the Boeing 747-400. The new Lufthansa Jumbo can seat 362 passengers: eight in First Class, 92 in Business Class and 262 in Economy Class.

Lufthansa will take delivery of 20 Boeing 747-8s up until 2015. The first five aircraft are due to be delivered to Lufthansa this year. They will be deployed on routes from Frankfurt to Washington D. C, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Concourse 3 Testing Programme Underway

Facility on track for completion by year-end, will open Q1 2013

Dubai, UAE –  May 1,  2012 – With construction of Concourse 3, the world’s first purpose-built A380 facility, on track for completion at the end of 2012, Dubai Airports has launched an intensive operational readiness programme to prepare the new facility for its opening in the first quarter of 2013.

“Concourse 3 will be opened to the public in the first quarter of 2013 once Dubai Airports is completely satisfied that it has passed all operational and service readiness tests with flying colours,” Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports told journalists at a press briefing held at the Arabian Travel Market currently underway in Dubai. “We will not compromise on service.”

Last month Dubai Airports, together with its stakeholders Emirates, dnata, police, immigration and Dubai Corporation for Aviation Engineering Projects, kicked off its Operational Readiness and Airport Transition (ORAT) programme. During this period Dubai Airports, as the landlord of the new facility, will in phases take over responsibility of Concourse 3, as the contractors complete their work.

By the end of April, key elements of the facility, including the baggage handling system and train system linking Terminal 3 to the new concourse were in place and are due to be handed over to Dubai Airports for trials in the coming weeks. Most of the structural work on Concourse 3 is complete, with work now predominately focused on the activation of airport systems and completion of the internal infrastructure.

As each element, from the baggage handling system to the lounge facilities, is handed over, it will undergo intensive tests and trials to ensure that it is able to cope with the millions passengers that will eventually use them. The trials and tests will grow in intensity and scope, culminating in complex advanced passengers trials. These advanced trials, which will include thousands of members of the public and airport staff, will simulate the full operation of Concourse 3, including the boarding and disembarking of aircraft, use of lounge facilities, restaurants and flight connection facilities.

“Over the next few weeks, our preparatory work will move into high gear. We learned a lot from our experience with Terminal 3,” said Griffiths. ”We learned that the big bang theory is not the best approach when it comes to opening an airport…soft launches following rigorous testing and operational trials is the only way to go.”

Concourse 3, which will cater solely for Emirates Airline flights, is spread over 500,000m² and 11 levels. Featuring 20 contact gates and 13 remote stands, all capable of accommodating Airbus A380 aircraft, Concourse 3 will boost Dubai International’s capacity to 75 million passengers per year. The new building will have entire floors dedicated to business and first class passengers, allowing them to board directly from the lounge facilities. The Automated People Mover (APM), or train, carrying passengers from Terminal 3 to C3 is another first for Dubai Airports in the Middle East.

“As Emirates continues its rapid expansion, ensuring that we have the right infrastructure in place to support it is key,” said Tim Clark, President, Emirates airline. “As the largest operator of A380s in the world, having a dedicated concourse that is built to exclusively accommodate this aircraft, will transform the airport experience for Emirates’ customers.  It will mean an improved airport service, world class shopping and the first class and business class facilities for which Emirates is known and respected.

“We have a very busy few months ahead as we, together with Dubai Airports, continue our preparations for the opening and look forward to welcoming our first passengers to the new concourse in early 2013.”

As the Concourse 3 project nears completion, work has already begun on phase one of the US$7.8 billion Strategic Plan 2020 which will boost Dubai International’s annual capacity to 90 million passengers by 2018 through several airport and airspace expansion projects.

As part of the plan, work to expand Terminal 2 to almost double its existing capacity continues apace, with construction well underway on the new check-in facilities.  Design work for the new Concourse 4, which will be dedicated to more than 110 international airlines, is also underway.

SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS AWARDS DISCOVER THE WORLD MARKETING CYPRUS REPRESENTATION

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ, Apr., 2012—South African Airways awarded the sales and marketing development in the promising and growing market of Cyprus to Discover the World Marketing as part of an extension of its existing contract in Greece, effective May 1, 2012.

“We extended our Discover representation to Cyprus because it enjoys financial and business relations with South Africa, thanks to its historic Cypriot community residing in South Africa for many years,” said Dagmar Biemueller, South African Airways head of marketing Europe.  “Since Discover has been working with us in Greece for some time, we realized this new contract in Cyprus would be a winning partnership for both of us.”

According to Jenny Adams, CEO for Discover the World Marketing, “We are pleased South African Airways has expanded its association with us.  There are some great opportunities to generate more revenue and brand awareness for them with Cyprus being the major maritime base for Cypriot owned shipping companies and its global crew traffic.  Even the major off-shore gas discoveries will generate new business for South African Airways.”

For more information about Discover the World Marketing, visit discovertheworld.com,

British Airways Upgrades Website With New Look Homepage

HARMONDSWORTH, England, April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways has upgraded its website, ba.com, with the addition of a completely new homepage.

The ba.com homepage has been comprehensively redesigned to make it easier to use and navigate, as well as making it more inviting and accessible to customers. Striking imagery has been added throughout the page with clearer information on products, services and offers.

Andy Newman, British Airways’ ba.com manager, said: “First impressions count, which is why we’ve devoted so much time in making sure that our award-winning website is even better at engaging our customers, from the first click.

“Ease of use is a key principle we bring to all our digital channels, so we’ve developed a new easier way of navigating around ba.com, with a clearer ‘Manage My Booking’ area and a better use of evocative destination images to help inspire customers and make the most of their trip.”

The last time major design changes were made to ba.com was in 2005. Over the past year, ba.com has been rolling out a series of continued improvements. This includes new ways of presenting flights to show the ticket costs across multiple cabins with information on what service, baggage allowance and dining options customers can enjoy.

Design agency HUGE worked closely with ba.com on the design prototype of the new homepage through to the final agreed design, which was then built by the airline’s in-house team.

Newman continued: “British Airways is always striving to improve the customer experience and we want this excellence to begin with ba.com. We’ve started with the homepage and will continue to unveil the new look across ba.com as part of our continued investment in customer-focused digital channels.”

ba.com has also recently developed new ways to inspire customers to choose their flights, through Tripseeker, and the Holiday Finder. A lowest fares feature also enables customers to choose when to fly to destinations around the world, by searching for the lowest available fares.

The value calculator, introduced in June 2009, provides customers with the information to compare the value of British Airways flights with the cost of no-frills airlines.

Other technological investments by British Airways for its customers have been to provide mobiles apps and mobile boarding passes across all major mobile phone platforms, for iPhone, Blackberry, Android and Windows Phones. Over 1.7m mobile boarding passes have been downloaded since they were introduced in July 2010.

ba.com offers over 600 destinations for sale, with flights operated by British Airways across its global network and its partners, such as Iberia, Qantas and American Airlines.

From last week, bmi flights in and out of London Heathrow were made available to book on ba.com, including flights to Azerbaijan, Ireland, Kazakhstan and flights to Sierra Leone as well as being available to book through flybmi.com.

ba.com was awarded Best Airline Website by Travolution for the past two years.

New “Upper Class Suite”, the Longest Full Flat Bed in Business Class

Traffic surges 15.4 per cent at Dubai International in March

Airport registers third consecutive month with more than 4.5 million passengers

Dubai, UAE -  April 25, 2012 – Passenger traffic at Dubai International, the world’s fourth busiest hub for international passengers and freight, continued its double-digit growth for the third consecutive month according to the monthly traffic report for March issued by Dubai Airports on Wednesday.

Passenger traffic in March reached 4,848,320, an increase of 15.4 per cent compared to 4,201,708 during the corresponding month in 2011. March is the third consecutive month for Dubai International with passenger numbers exceeding the 4.5 million mark, propelling traffic in the first quarter to 14,261,606, a surge of 16.1 per cent over the same period last year.

Buoyed by traffic growth in the region following the increasing liberalisation of the Saudi Arabian aviation sector, the AGCC continued to top the list of regions with the largest increase in total passenger numbers (+174,537 passengers), followed by Western Europe (+109,364), and Africa (+90,057). Contraction on Middle Eastern routes continued in March (-23,030 passengers) owing to instability in certain parts of the region. South America has remained the strongest market in terms of percentage passenger growth* (+90.9 per cent) as a result of new Emirates services to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, followed by Russia and CIS (+47.4 per cent), and Australasia (+40.7 per cent). Traffic to and from Africa also rose dramatically (+25.7 per cent) due to the addition of Harare and Lusaka to Emirates’ route network.

During the month under review, Dubai International recorded a total of 29,276 aircraft movements, up 5.8 per cent compared to 27,674 in March 2011. The year to date movements increased 7.9 per cent to reach 86,014, compared to 79,705 recorded during the first quarter in 2011.

Dubai International handled 186,417 tonnes of cargo in March 2012 compared to 185,921 tonnes in March 2011, up 0.3 per cent. Cargo volumes during the first quarter rose slightly with freight volumes reaching 517,440 tonnes, an increase of 1.1 per cent compared to 512,057 tonnes during the corresponding period in 2011.

“New routes and additional frequencies are building on the magnetic attraction of Dubai’s hub as a premier leisure and business destination and a convenient connecting point for global travellers,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “As growth continues to pick up in almost all markets, both traditional and new, the outlook for the second quarter is similarly positive.”

EASYJET LAUNCHES NINE NEW ROUTES

AEA AIRLINES PUSH FOR LEGAL CLARITY ON PASSENGER DATA

Following intense political discussion, the European Parliament approved a new data transfer agreement with the USA, creating a robust legal framework for the exchange of airline passenger information. The Association of European Airlines (AEA) has welcomed this development and is now calling on European regulators to act on requests from other countries. “Europe’s network airlines commend the European Parliament for endorsing this agreement,” said AEA Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus. “This new deal gives airlines flying across the Atlantic a clear legal basis for compliance with US data requests.”

Since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, airlines have received a growing number of data requests from governments around the world. The exchange of data between national agencies plays an essential role in the fight against terrorism, however airlines cannot legally provide ‘passenger name record’ (PNR) information until both sets of regulators have agreed on a clear data protection framework.

Now the EU-US agreement has been finalised, AEA is urging European regulators to act on approaches from at least 11 countries which are seeking access to European airline data as part of their counter-terrorism strategy. “The EU has been sitting on these requests for far too long,” said Mr Schulte-Strathaus. “With every day that passes, European airlines are coming under growing pressure to provide this data, but they cannot and will not provide this information without the necessary legal framework. The EU must act soon or flights to these countries could be disrupted.”

Honeywell And Inmarsat To Modernize Global In-Flight Connectivity

New Service to Deliver Fast, Reliable In-Flight Connectivity for iPads, Smartphones, Tablet Devices, and Laptops

-Allows for Real-Time Social Media, Video Conferencing, and Multi-Media Presentation in-Flight, Similar to Being at Home or in the Office

-Honeywell and Global Xpress Network to Establish Leadership Position in Rapidly Growing Airborne Connectivity Segment; Industry Forecasts Airline Passenger Traffic to Double Over the Next 20 Years

-$2.8 Billion Estimated Value to Honeywell Over the Next Two Decades

LONDON and PHOENIX, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Honeywell (NYSE:HON) and Inmarsat (LSE:ISAT.L) have signed an exclusive agreement to provide global in-flight connectivity services to business, commercial, and government aviation customers around the world.  Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will develop, produce, and distribute the onboard hardware that will enable users to connect to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress™ network.  This exclusive agreement is estimated to represent $2.8 billion for Honeywell in sales of hardware, customer service, and maintenance to airlines, government entities and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) over the next two decades.  Global Xpress is scheduled for launch in 2013, with global service for commercial, business aviation, and government customers available in 2014.

By combining Honeywell’s satellite communication capabilities with Inmarsat’s Global Xpress connectivity, travelers will be able to do everything from real-time social media, to video conferencing and multi-media presentation development while in-flight virtually anywhere in the world, with an experience similar to being at home or in the office.  Passengers will have fast, reliable in-flight connectivity for their iPads, smartphones, tablet devices, and laptops while crossing oceans.

“With this new service, the flow of information will no longer stop when the door to the aircraft closes,” said Tim Mahoney, President and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace.  “Honeywell identified global aircraft connectivity as a future growth trend, and through the combination of the recently acquired EMS Technologies, Inc.’s broad technology offerings and Honeywell’s global aerospace franchise, the company is the perfect partner to launch the Inmarsat Global Xpress aerospace network.  We believe this new network will significantly expand the connectivity options of consumer, business, and government customers around the world.”

By the year 2016, it is estimated there will be 10 billion mobile devices in the world, and a global population of approximately 7.3 billion people.  Demand for data traffic is expected to grow by a factor of 50 for smartphones and a factor of 62 for tablets.  By 2016, it is estimated that 71 percent of all mobile traffic will be used for watching videos.  With the roll-out of the Global Xpress network, Honeywell is in a leading position to deliver airborne connectivity solution to this rapidly expanding market.

“Global Xpress will be the world’s first global Ka-band service for aviation customers and will raise the bar for in-flight connectivity,” said Leo Mondale, Managing Director, Global Xpress, Inmarsat.  ”Honeywell is the most qualified and credible technology partner in their field, and has put forward a superb technical solution for the Global Xpress aviation user terminal.  Building on its truly global presence, which today supports a broad portfolio of aviation products and services, Honeywell will offer world class customer service, support, and maintenance for the Global Xpress connectivity products worldwide.”

Global Xpress Transforms Consumer and Business Traveler Connectivity
Global Xpress will operate in the Ka-band, with four times the bandwidth available compared to alternative solutions in Ku-band.  This expanded spectrum resource, delivered via spot beam technology, will enable Global Xpress to outperform Ku-band based services in both speed and cost.

Honeywell already supports Inmarsat’s current premier aviation service, SwiftBroadband, so it is meeting the increasing need for global in-flight communications today, while building a bridge to better and faster communications when Global Xpress launches.

“Passengers worldwide are hungering for better connectivity and more expanded services during flights, driven in part by the explosion of tablet devices,” said Carl Esposito, Vice President, Marketing and Product Management, Honeywell Aerospace. “Airlines are taking notice of this development and placing a higher value on passenger connectivity as a way to add value and differentiate their services.”

Global Xpress Network Expands Government and Military Connectivity Options to Improve Field Coordination
With this new service, government users can communicate mission critical information with ground bases regarding details about position and status of manned and unmanned aircraft.  Additionally, Honeywell believes that the network connectivity requirements of government users to “always be on” will drive an accelerated level of adoption of this service to meet critical mission requirements.

This service represents a high value for government customers, enabling them to buy comparatively inexpensive satellite communications, and use an already established global consistent network to send data across for many purposes.

Thomson Announces Summer 2013 Programme

Thomson is excited to announce the launch of its Summer 2013 programme, with the latest editions of Thomson’s Florida, Summer Collection, and Faraway Shores brochures.  The new brochures showcase the launch of the Thomson Airways 787 Dreamliner, more hotels offering exclusivity and unique holiday experiences, than ever before, plus new Sensatori and Thomson Couples hotels and new destination of Costa Almeria.  Summer 2013 holidays will go on sale as of Thursday 26 April.”Summer 2013 is shaping up to be one of our most exciting launches ever,” says Garry Wilson, Purchasing and Product Director for Thomson.

“We are thrilled that our customers are going to be able to experience the benefits of travelling on the Dreamliner on our most popular long haul routes. We know that this addition to our fleet will set us apart from our competition and we’ll be able to give our customers the best possible start to their holidays.”

“In line with our strategy of offering customers holidays they cannot get elsewhere, we’ve been working to ensure that more hotels than ever are being offer exclusively by Thomson to our customers in the UK.  This is the way the business has been taking for a few years, as we have found that when we are able to work more closely with hoteliers, we are able to tailor the hotels around our customers.  I am confident that our customers will really appreciate this move, as it will mean that their hotels are more in tune with their needs and wants.”

NEW: THOMSON 787 DREAMLINER

Thomson Airways, the airline for Thomson and First Choice, is the UK’s first airline to take delivery of Boeing’s new 787 aircraft – the Dreamliner.  From 1^st May 2013, holidaymakers heading to Cancun, Mexico and Sanford, Florida from Manchester, London Gatwick, East Midlands and Glasgow will have the opportunity to travel on the brand-new aircraft.

Hailed as the greatest advance in air travel for passengers in recent years, the Dreamliner will revolutionise air travel for Thomson Airways customers through significant advances in in-flight comfort and wellbeing.  The new Dreamliner routes will be included in the Florida and Faraway Shores brochures.

NEW: HOLIDAYS  ONLY FROM THOMSON

From May 2013, 90% of Thomson’s holidays will be available Only from Thomson to UK customers.  By increasing the number of properties offered exclusively by Thomson in the UK, we hope to be able to offer customers the best holidays in the market. The hotels have been handpicked by our product and purchasing teams, further to customer feedback, and Thomson will be working with hoteliers to ensure that all of our hotels are tailored exactly to our customers’ needs.

NEW: SENSATORI AND THOMSON COUPLES HOTELS

Due to popular demand Thomson can announce the latest addition to the Sensatori Collection, with the launch of Sensatori Turkey located in Sorgun. The brand-new beachfront hotel will have five a la carte restaurants, including a traditional Turkish restaurant and fine dining options, specially zoned adults and family zones, a beachside location and a world class spa.   Prices start from £649pp

Thomson Couples is introducing six new hotels to its collection for Summer 2013. Thomson Couples has proved very popular amongst customers looking for adult only holidays, staying in chic, beachfront locations and offering real relaxation. The4T Vilamendhoo Couples Resort & Spa, in the Maldives and the 5T RIU PalaceMacao, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic will be the long haul additions to the programme.  These properties will feature in the Faraway Shores brochure.

Closer to home, the 4T+ Iberotel Palace in Sharm el Sheikh, the 4T Los Gigantes in Tenerife, the 4T Medulin in Croatia, and 5T Atlantic Kalliston in Crete, have also become part of the Thomson Couples collection, due to their top dining scenes, contemporary style and great settings.  Another first for Thomson Couples is the Couples Cruise, onboard the 4T Nile Legacy in Luxor.  The luxury ship sails past the Niles iconic sights and will be bookable on a full board basis.

Thomson Family Resorts is also adding to its programme, introducing three new hotels.  They include the 4T Golden Taurus Resort in Costa Brava which has non-stop activities and fantastic family facilities; the 4T Sirenis Club Aura in Ibiza, which is close to the beach and has its own splash park; and the 4T Coral Sea Aqua Club that has three swimming pools and an on-site waterpark. These mid and short haul properties will all feature in the Summer Collection brochure.

NEW DESTINATION: COSTA ALMERIA

Finally Thomson will be introducing the Mainland Spain destination of Costa Almeria to its Summer 2013 programme.  Costa Almeria was chosen as destination thanks to its fantastic beaches, ideal for families.  Thomson Airways will operate weekly flights from Manchester Airport throughout the summer season.  The Costa Almeria programme will be featured in the Summer Collection brochure. Holidays will start from £485pp.

Technology Adoption to Catalyse Global Airport Security Market, Says Frost & Sullivan

- Market to Gradually Shift Away from Labour-intensive Activities to an Increasingly Technological Approach

LONDON, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Airport security remains a priority for individual countries and the international community. An increase in global air travel over the last decade has driven growth in the security industry.  The persistent threat of terrorist and criminal attack as well as new regional security directives have all contributed to this trend.

The global increase in airport infrastructure and upgrades of ageing equipment continue to offer new opportunities for industry to provide the latest technology and security solutions for airports throughout the world.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.aerospace.frost.com), Global Airport Security Market Assessment, finds that total expenditure was around 19.10 billion USD in 2011 and estimates this to increase to 45.43 billion USD by 2018. The research covers perimeter security, surveillance, access control, integration, screening, command and control and, personnel.

“High threat perceptions of criminal or terrorist attacks will continue to boost investment in airport security,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Anthony Leather. “Regional and global legislation is constantly amended and updated in an attempt to address any criminal or terrorist activity. This has compelled airport operators worldwide to continually update latest security procedures and technology solutions.”

Despite the global economic downturn, investment in airport infrastructure will continue to rise. More technologically advanced security equipment will be procured to ensure that airports meet stricter regulations and the highest security standards. This will be especially true in Asia Pacific (APAC), including India and China.

At present, airport security remains labour-intensive, consuming the majority of the security budget. These costs take away from potential investments in new, cutting-edge technology.

“But while technology can help to identify threats, it still requires human interaction to evaluate and implement the appropriate response,” adds Leather.

Technologies and systems that prove to be more efficient than personnel will appeal to airport operators. Companies that can provide a total security option are becoming more desirable, so that integration of security systems can be easily achieved.

“The integration of security systems is becoming vital for airport security managers,” concludes Leather. “Integration results in a more comprehensive and cohesive security control that helps to respond to identified threats in a more efficient and effective manner. Therefore, technology that can be easily integrated will be in the most competitive position in the procurement process.”

If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an e-mail with your contact details to Joanna Lewandowska, Corporate Communications, at joanna.lewandowska@frost.com.

Global Airport Security Market Assessment is part of the Aerospace Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: Border Control Market, Biometrics Market and Safe Cities Market. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.

British Airways Launches New Algiers Flights From London Gatwick

British Airways has launched a new service to Algiers from London Gatwick, which will commence from the start of the summer schedule.

Flights to Algiers will move from Heathrow to Gatwick with seven flights a week. Algeria’s capital city, Algiers mixes past with present with 17th-century mosques and Ottoman-style palaces in the hilltop Kasbah city with a Mediterranean harbour. British Airways offer hotels in the city, including the beach front Sheraton Club des Pins Resort and Towers and the Hilton Alger, which is set among pines over looking the bay.

Algiers is one of five routes to North Africa offered by British Airways, the others being Cairo in Egypt, Tripoli, Marrakech and Tunis.

The year-round service will operate on Boeing 737 jets, and roundtrip flights to London are available to book on http://www.ba.com.The fares are all inclusive, offering passengers free online check-in and seat selection up to 24 hours before departure, a 23 kg checked-in luggage allowance, plus two pieces of hand baggage, and no debit card fees.

In addition to the new service to Algiers, British Airways customers can also enjoy the luxury of flying in First Class on the airline’s new long haul service to Moscow. The start of the summer season also sees addition of long haul flights from Heathrow to New York JFK, Johannesburg, Miami, Hong Kong and Riyadh.

British Airways’ partner Iberia will also move its eight daily services from Heathrow to Madrid into Terminal 5 from Terminal 3, for the first time. This terminal move will allow customers better access to more destinations, and a smoother transfer experience at Heathrow between British Airways and Iberia flights.

Other changes at Heathrow have resulted in additional short haul flights to popular destinations such as Barcelona, Brussels, Bologna, Rome, Hamburg, Paris Orly, Prague, Edinburgh, Glasgow andManchester.

Three new leisure routes, to Mahon in Menorca, Angers in the Loire Valley and Quimper in Brittany, will also start from London City Airport, resulting in a total of 21 destinations in the UK, Europeand USA being served from the docklands airport.

Emirates launches new global brand platform – “Hello Tomorrow”

New branding captures passion for connecting peoples hopes, dreams and aspirations

DUBAI, U.A.E.,2ndApril 2012: Emirates today launched a new global brand platform and direction, themed “Hello Tomorrow,” which positions the global airline as the enabler of global connectivity and meaningful experiences. Emirates is embarking on an integrated marketing communications campaign with a new brand promise as the company continues its evolution from a travel brand to a global lifestyle brand.

Designed for the age of consumer engagement and empowerment, “Hello Tomorrow” is about inspiring people to greet tomorrow’s unlimited potential, now. “Hello” is a greeting, an invitation to a person, a place or an experience. “Tomorrow” is a time, a place, a state of mind – the unlimited possibility of the future.  Emirates is extending an invitation to try the unfamiliar, create new ideas, and form new visions. The theme encapsulates life’s potential and embracing the future with all the possibilities it holds.

“Our new corporate image and global marketing campaign both underline the confidence we have in our existing products and services, and the vision we have for the future growth of the airline,” said Sir Maurice Flanagan, Vice Chairman of Emirates Airline & Group. “Emirates is not just offering a way to connect people from point A to point B but is the catalyst to connect people’s hopes, dreams and aspirations.”  “Emirates is connecting people and cultures creating relevant and meaningful experiences that are shaping the world,” he added.

Emirates airline has grown from its early days in 1985, when it launched with just two aircraft, to its current status as one of the world’s fastest growing airlines with 171 wide-body aircraft including the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 777s and A380s.  A brand synonymous with luxury and innovation, Emirates was the first to offer inflight telephony across all classes, individual TV screens on every seat, First Class suites and an onboard Shower Spa on its A380 aircraft.  From its home base in Dubai, Emirates is geographically located within an eight hour direct flight of 75 per cent of the world’s population – more distant routes like the Americas are connected to the Dubai hub with long range aircraft that fly the distance direct.

As the world becomes more interconnected, borders are being blurred and people are more mobile and globally focused than ever before; they are connecting, creating and sharing ideas that are propelling the world forward.  Emirates, slated to become the world’s largest airline by 2015 ,  represents these global individuals who we call ‘globalistas’ – they are our customers and also our multi-cultural work force which is made up of more than 45,000 people from over 165 different nations.

Globalistas represent individuals who are looking and living for new experiences. They are well travelled, or have aspirations to join the ranks of the well-travelled. The ‘globalista’ is not defined by typical demographic statistics but by the places they have visited and the experiences they have shared. They embrace the unlimited possibility of the future and are open to an invitation to try the unfamiliar – Emirates is the brand that is enabling this global lifestyle.

The campaign was created with Emirates lead communications partner Strawberry Frog, the world’s first Cultural Movement agency. “We’re building on decades of innovation in Emirates marketing to launch this new and innovative movement for the world’s most thoughtful and incredible brand,” said Scott Goodson, Chairman of Strawberry Frog. “This bold next step for the brand will offer people who love the brand or want to experience the brand, inspiration to participate in this brave new world and spark new connections and experiences achieved through travel.”

“The “Hello Tomorrow” campaign is at the vanguard of the trend for global brands to spark movements not simply do advertising, connecting people, communities and encouraging them to join together to make a positive impact on society,” added Goodson.

The campaign launch, which begins today, features print, TV, digital advertising including some iconic billboards in New York’s Times Square and Milan’s central train station. A series of vibrant messages that represent the spirit of Tomorrow – Tomorrow Brings Us Closer to; New People, New Experiences, New Styles, New Friends, will bring Emirates’ new vision to the marketplace. Emirates website has also been refreshed to reflect the “Hello Tomorrow” messaging.

Beyond a look, the spirit of the brand and its evolution is being embedded internally as well focused on driving increased consumer engagement in what is new, fresh and innovative in the world – empowering people to explore, engage and live.

Reflecting an effort to target a younger audience, the “Hello Tomorrow” campaign is currently debuting with vignettes of the TV spots on Emirates newly launched Facebook channel.  The TV commercials, outdoor and print ads will break today around the world.  The new TV ads can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/emirates

Aer Lingus make group & MICE travel easier

The new Online Group Booking Tool at aerlingus.com makes Group Travel much easier. Groups can book early to secure the best available fare, 7-25 persons can be booked in one single transaction and names need not be confirmed until 10 days pre-departure.  For added convenience, travel essentials such as checked bags, lounge access and assigned seating can be added to the Group Reservation using the ‘Manage Booking’ facility.

The airline also has a new Online Portal for Conference and Event Organisers, which can be tailored to their event, gives instant access to flights to Ireland from 22 countries, and includes an easy-to-follow online booking facility. It can include logos, text & images as required. Requests to use this portal are welcome from PCOs, Convention Bureaux, Venues and Event Organisers.

Early bird Promotion Code Discounts
For larger events and conferences Aer Lingus’ Early Bird Promotion Code gives real money-off discounts on seats on all applicable routes. The level of discount depends on the volume of target passengers, market share & travel period etc.  These discounts also apply to the new Online Group Booking tool and are a fantastic incentive to get individual Conference Delegates and Groups to book early.

Other Supports offered by the Airline include support for site inspections, Key Note Speaker tickets, access to the airline’s new Gold Circle Lounge at the Dublin Airport etc.

For further information please contact Aisling Riordan, Aer Lingus, Manager Group Travel & Business Tourism:aisling.riordan@aerlingus.com

easyJet’s inaugural flight celebrates the launch of the first new airport in the south east for decades

- Popular ski route of Geneva to launch from winter 2012-

easyJet, the UK’s largest airline, celebrate the launch of its new UK base at London Southend Airport – the first new airport in the south east for decades. Southend is the airline’s 23rd base in Europe and 11th in the UK, with a special inaugural flight taking off from the new airport to Barcelona.

Southend was once London’s third biggest as well as the home of Freddie Laker’s first airline venture. Southend will offer a fast and convenient new way to fly to and from London. The brand new terminal – which was recently officially opened by Secretary of State for Transport, Justine Greening MP – is located within a minute’s walk from the new train station with superb links into Stratford and central London.

London Southend is easyJet’s eleventh UK base which will bring three new A319 aircraft and over 150 employees to the airport, with more than 800,000 passengers expected to fly in the airline’s first year of take off.

Estonian Air to get its third Embraer

The third 76-seater Embraer 170 with register number ES-AEC has landed at Tallinn Airport. The aircraft carrying the new livery of Estonian Air is delivered to Estonian Air under a lease agreement with Finnair. Altogether Estonian Air will get four Embraer E-Jet aircraft from Finnair.

The fourth aircraft will be delivered to Estonia within nearest weeks.

Estonian Air has selected Embraer E-Jet family to support its long-term strategy. Embraer is the largest producer of regional aircraft. Estonian Air is estimating a requirement for 12 Embraer E-Jet aircraft that enable the company to increase flight frequencies, open new destinations and to operate at least double daily services to main destinations in Europe. The airline is committing to pragmatic and sustainable growth in the future.

The national flag carrier of Estonia and Embraer have signed a contract for the purchase of three E175s and one E190. Estonian Air takes eight additional aircraft, four E170s and four E190s, under a combination of lease agreements with third parties and leasing companies. The direct purchase from Embraer is subject to the approval of Estonian Air’s Supervisory Council.

AS Estonian Air, Estonia’s national carrier, is the biggest operator at Tallinn Airport. Estonian Air focuses on improving the connection between Estonia and the rest of the world with the aim of increasing competitiveness as a network carrier hub.

Estonian Air flies to 24 destinations in CIS, Scandinavia and Europe. The airline has added new destinations to its flight schedule, such as Helsinki, Riga, Jyväskylä, Hannover, Vienna, Venice, Joensuu, Kajaani and Thbilisi.

The ticket prices start at 39.90 euros, if purchased from www.estonian-air.com, including all fees and taxes, baggage, snacks and soft drinks on longer flights and soft drinks on flights that last less than 1 hour.

Estonian Air is the National Partner of the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Finland

Dubai International’s Passenger Traffic Surges by 19 per cent in February

Dubai, UAE – March 27, 2012 – Dubai International’s monthly passenger traffic surpassed the 4.5 million mark for the second consecutive month this year while freight volumes witnessed an upturn after months of flat growth, according to the monthly traffic report for February issued by Dubai Airports.

Passenger traffic surged 19 per cent in February – a 16 month high – to reach 4,561,147 passengers compared to 3,831,385 recorded in the same month in 2011.  This follows the airport’s record traffic of over 4.8 million passengers in January, propelling the year to date (February) passenger traffic by 16.4 per cent to 9,413,286.

The AGCC continued to top the list of regions with the largest increase in total passenger numbers* in February (+150,643 passengers), followed by the Indian subcontinent (+140,322), Western Europe (+136,320), and Africa (+110,561 passengers). The downward trend on Middle Eastern routes continued in February (-23,804 passengers) because of the instability in the region.

In terms of percentage passenger growth, South America has remained the strongest market (+151.4 per cent) owing to Emirates Airline’s new routes to Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, followed by Russia and CIS (+41.7 per cent) mainly due to the expansion of flydubai operations. The launch of Emirates Airline’s flights to the African destinations of Lusaka and Harare in February has driven Africa up the list (35.9 per cent), closely followed by Australasia (+29 per cent) and Eastern Europe (+28 per cent).

Dubai International recorded a total of 27,058 aircraft movements during the month under review, up 9.8 per cent compared to 24,646 last February. The year to date movements stood at 56,738, up 9 per cent compared to 50,031 recorded during the first two months in 2011.

After months of weak performance, cargo volumes surged 6.5 per cent to 157,492 tonnes compared to 147,937 tonnes in February last year, mainly due to the impact of the Chinese New Year on freight volumes in February 2011, as well as the ongoing expansion of Emirates route network which stimulates the flow of cargo through Dubai.

The extra day in February 2012, on account of the leap year, also contributed to Dubai International’s overall performance.

“February marks the twelfth consecutive month with passenger traffic exceeding the four million mark, and with the growth expected to maintain momentum in the coming months we are well on track to achieve the targeted 56.5 million passenger traffic for 2012,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “The completion of the Concourse 3 project by the end of 2012 is in line with this forecast and will expand Dubai International’s capacity at the right time, ensuring that our growth continues unhindered.”

The airport currently has an annual capacity of 60 million passengers, increasing to 75 million passengers by next year with the opening of Concourse 3, the world’s first A380 facility dedicated for use by Emirates Airline. Dubai International is the fourth-busiest airport worldwide for international passenger and cargo traffic.

airberlin is to discontinue press discounts

For reasons of corporate governance, airberlin will be discontinuing press discounts on flights as from 1st April 2012. All flights booked at the discounted fares up until that date will remain valid and the discounts currently available will continue to apply to such flights even when taken after 1st April.

According to Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO airberlin, the decision has been taken in response to the somewhat controversial public discussions concerning the personal gain enjoyed by members of individual professions: “The large number of enquiries we have recently received from many journalists indicates that even they are questioning whether such discounts make sense. We have scrutinised the current arrangement and have concluded that press discounts are also no longer in keeping with the times.”

airberlin had introduced the press discount to promote the company and the brand when the airline introduced seat-only sales in 1997. Mehdorn made the point that, with prompted awareness now reaching 91 per cent in Germany (Stern magazine travel analysis), this argument is now also outdated.

In the past airberlin has granted journalists 25 per cent discount on the net fare for international flights, while German domestic flights were available at a fixed flex fare price of 119 euros per person / per flight segment, incl. taxes and charges (excl. service charge).

airberlin offers bargain fares at irregular intervals. Anyone interested in finding out more about special promotions will find the relevant information in the airberlin Newsletter or at facebook.com/airberlin.com. Members of airberlin’s topbonus frequent flyer programme also have the option of using the award miles they have collected to book a free flight.

Aviation’s Essential Contribution to European and Global Economies

Yesterday(March 21st), at the Aviation & Environment Summit 2012 in Geneva, the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) launched a new report highlighting aviation’s essential contribution to European and global economies.

Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders, developed by consultancy firm Oxford Economics, compiles country-level reports to create the most comprehensive global picture of the economic and social benefits of air transport available today.

“This report is timely and eye-opening,” said Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, Secretary General of the Association of European Airlines (AEA). “Aviation has a vital role to play in Europe’s economic recovery, contributing $749 billion to European GDP and supporting 8.7 million jobs. We need our regulators to seize this potential by working with the industry to reinforce and strengthen Europe’s global role.”

At global level, aviation supports 56.6 million jobs and its worldwide economic impact is estimated at $2.2 trillion. To put these figures in context, if the air transport industry were a country, it would rank among the G20 nations.

Commenting on the launch, ATAG Executive Director Paul Steele said: “While the number of jobs and GDP supported by aviation in Europe and around the world is impressive, it is also important to remember that aviation’s benefits spread far beyond the numbers themselves. From the connectivity that aviation makes possible to the links with friends and family, to the businesses that rely on the speed of air transport, it truly is an important part of modern life around the world. European unity and cohesion also benefits from these connections.”

The summary on Europe is available at:

http://files.aea.be/Downloads/Avia_Ben_Key_Fac.pdf

The full report is available at: http://www.aviationbenefitsbeyondborders.org/.

Etihad Airways extends Sabre Technology deal to benefit airberlin

Etihad Airways said yesterday(March 18th) it will offer partner airline, airberlin, a range of benefits from its own billion dollar deal with travel technology provider Sabre Airline Solutions.

Under the agreement signed between Etihad Airways and Sabre in December 2011, Etihad Airways gains access to cutting edge, integrated software across its reservations, inventory, marketing, planning, eCommerce, distribution and departure control operations.

This will significantly reduce the airline’s technology costs, streamline its operations, increase revenues, and accelerate its growth around the world.

As part of its strategic equity partnership with airberlin, Etihad Airways will offer access to a range of these benefits, as part of its strategy to identify synergies that could benefit both airlines.

Working with Sabre, potential benefits include:
• distribution – providing Sabre agencies worldwide with enhanced real-time access to Etihad Airways and airberlin flights and ancillary content;
• improved joint market share, which could generate per annum benefits of up to US $25 million at current levels; and
• preferential partner access to specialised and highly-skilled consulting resources, which could lead to process improvements across a broad range of business areas, potentially resulting in better schedule connectivity and inventory control, improved distribution channel mix, more competitive revenue management and optimised crew utilisation.

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer James Hogan said: “Since we announced our equity partnership with airberlin in December 2011, we have been actively looking for ways the two airlines can work together, and also for benefits each airline already has, which could be extended to the other airline.

“The deal between Etihad Airways and Sabre is a terrific opportunity for airberlin, and will support their drive for growth.”

Chief Executive Officer of airberlin, Hartmut Mehdorn, said:  “airberlin benefits from the negotiations between Etihad Airways and Sabre. This is further evidence of the wide range of opportunities for enhancing the synergies and optimising cost efficiency within the partnership between airberlin and Etihad Airways.”

Sam Gilliland, Chief Executive Office of Sabre Holdings said: “Our primary goal is to provide our airline partners with flexible technology that helps reduce costs and increase revenue and profits. Through Etihad Airways, airberlin will be able to leverage our Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, and reap some of the benefits Etihad Airways enjoy.  We welcome the opportunity to work more closely with airberlin and other potential Etihad airline partners.”

ETIHAD Airways will introduce farm-to-table, organic Inflight dining

Etihad Airways announced(March 16th) an exclusive partnership with Abu Dhabi Organics Farms, the first internationally certified organic farming initiative in the UAE, to supply fresh organic produce for its inflight First Class dining menus.

The airline will be sourcing fresh organic produce daily from the expansive farm. The farm’s production meets highest international quality standards and follows best practice of sustainable farming. A range of fresh food products, from eggs to vegetables to honey, will be served onboard.

Etihad Airways First Class Chefs, who are already serving up restaurant-quality dishes to order as part of the newly-unveiled First Class Mezoon Grille menu, will begin to incorporate these fresh ingredients in their onboard service. Plans to launch the farm-to-table concept across all cabin classes are currently underway.

Abu Dhabi Organics Farms was established in 1997 by Khalid Al Shamsi, an Emirati national passionate about organic living. Sitting on more than 55 hectares of land, featuring both greenhouses and outside fields, the farm grows a wide range of vegetables and fruits from around the world, as well as raising livestock such as camels, cows, chickens and goats.

The farm also offers daily fieldtrips to educate children on the importance of natural organic food, sustainability and recycling,allowing them to experience first-hand how the desert has been turned into fertile land.

Mr Al Shamsi said: “The Abu Dhabi Organics Farms works with the Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and has been awarded the food security medal. We are a member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which issues accreditation and certificates for organic produce, and we have received HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) certification for our hygiene and food safety measures.

“Abu Dhabi Organics Farms is the only farm in the world to receive the Social Value Award from the Valore Sociale, a center of excellence for corporate social responsibility, for our favourable worker conditions. Further, our Sidr Honey was recognised as the best in the world at the Biol Miel Internaitional Competition for Organic Honey.

“We are immensely proud to become a supplier for Etihad Airways and to know that our produce will be flown across the world and enjoyed by their guests.”

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Etihad Airways has always stressed the importance of partnering with local companies and we are proud to support organizations such as the Abu Dhabi Organics Farms as part of our ‘Product of the UAE’ initiative to bring local products to the world.

“Abu Dhabi Organics Farms is also a great fit with our aim to offer the very best in the air. We have always offered the freshest and healthiest foods available, but with this new partnership, our guests can even enjoy produce the same day it was harvested or even an egg the same day it was laid. Our ‘Farm-to-table’ initiative is again setting the ultimate inflight standards.”

LOW-COST AIRLINE VOLOTEA TO LINK VENICE TO SIX GREEKS ISLANDS

            It will also fly from Thessaloniki to Venice 

Seats are on sale from €19 each way, taxes included 

Venice Marco Polo airport, 15 March 2012. – Volotea, the low-cost carrier for Europe’s small and mid-sized cities, has put today on sale tickets for the new routes that will link Venice Marco Polo airport to six Greek Islands: 

CORFU, HERAKLION, KOS, MYKONOS, RHODES, AND SANTORINI

Together with the Thessaloniki-Venice route, in the Greek mainland, Volotea becomes the top airline in the number of destinations (seven) between Greece and Venice.

€19 ONE-WAT, TAXES INCLUDED

Tickets are available exclusively via volotea.com from today from €19, one-way, taxes included, with the travel period spanning from June/July (depending on the route) onto the entire summer season. There is a limited amount of seats on offer.

Initial schedules are as follows:

Thessaloniki           Tuesdays, Saturdays          starting 2 June

Corfu                    Wednesdays, Sundays        starting 24 June

Heraklion             Tuesdays, Saturdays          starting 17 July

Kos                       Mondays, Fridays              starting 16 July

Mykonos               Mondays, Wednesdays       starting 25 June

Rhodes                     Thursdays, Sundays           starting 15 July

Santorini              Wednesdays, Saturdays      starting 18 July  

FIRST BASE IN VENICE 

Volotea, the new European low-cost carrier that concentrates its activity on flights between mid-sized cities, has chosen Venice’s Marco Polo airport as its first operating base starting this spring.

The Barcelona-headquartered company will initially base three 125-seat, Boeing 717 in Venice, in order to serve a wide domestic and international network of destinations.

Volotea will link mid-sized cities underserved via direct flights, thus bypassing big hubs with notable economic benefits for both ends of the routes, due to its economical way of flying on a time-saving fashion.

Volotea has been founded by Carlos Muñoz and Lázaro Ros, previously co-founders of Vueling Airlines (today Europe’s third-largest low-cost carrier). They respectively hold the positions of CEO and Director General. 

SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING

Volotea has secured substantial and adequate funding from the founding and management team and, also, from three top private equity firms:

• CCMP Capital Advisors, a leading private equity firm specializing in upper-middle market buyouts and growth equity investments in the U.S. and Europe, with offices in New York, London and Houston. CCMP Capital was formed in 2006 by the former buyout and growth equity investment professionals of J.P. Morgan Partners, LLC (a private equity division of JPMorgan Chase & Co). The founders of CCMP Capital have invested over $13bn since 1984.

• Axis Participaciones Empresariales, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spain’s Instituto de Crédito Oficial. Having invested €250m in over 130 operations since 1986, Madrid-based Axis is the oldest venture capital operator in Spain.

• Sinaer Inversiones, an aviation-investment vehicle partly owned by Corpfin Capital, an independent private equity firm which focuses on Spanish growth companies. Madrid-based Corpfin was founded in 1990 and currently manages assets worth €400m.

In keeping with the European Union’s airline ownership rules, European investors holds the majority of Volotea’s capital, as well as the airline’s effective control.

British Airways will be the first airline to offer customers First class travel between London and Moscow

CRAWLEY, England, March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –

British Airways debuted the upcoming four class cabin experience on the route from London Heathrow to Moscow. From March 25, British Airways will be the first airline to offer customers First class travel between London and Moscow, as well as Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller onboard a daily Boeing 747 service.

Richard Tams, head of UK and Ireland sales and marketing, said: “Customers in all cabins, especially First and Club World, will be able to enjoy a top-class customer experience and the best premium travel between London and Moscow.”

The new long-haul flights to Moscow will be the shortest in the British Airways network and takes just four hours.

As well as operating a daily Boeing 747 service, British Airways is also putting two daily long-haul Boeing 767s on the route to replace the existing short-haul service.

The change of aircraft means the route will change from a short-haul service operated with two cabins to a long-haul operation, offering customers up to four classes of travel, with the opportunity to enjoy the premium service, fully flat-beds, comprehensive in-flight entertainment and wide selection of meals and drinks in unrivalled comfort.

British Airways has been flying to Moscow since 1959 and offers a wide selection of hotels in the capital.

International film actress, Gillian Anderson flew on the preview flight this week to launch the new service from British Airways.

Gillian Anderson said: “It’s the first time I’ve travelled to Moscow and I’m delighted more people can now do the same in the luxury of British Airways First Class. Flying British Airways feels like a little bit of Britain and I always look forward to flying with them especially when
coming home.”

QATAR AIRWAYS SIGNS OVER 3,700 HOTELS WORLDWIDE INTO AIRLINE’S PRIVILEGE CLUB LOYALTY PROGRAMME

Qatar Airways Privilege Club Cards

Through Privilege Club, Qmiles can be redeemed for complimentary flights and upgrades on Qatar Airways’ global network that now spans 112 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

Members can also take advantage of a range of other exclusive benefits, including priority check-in and boarding, extra baggage allowance and unlimited lounge access, designed to make travelling more comfortable and highly rewarding.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 105 aircraft to key business and leisure destinations worldwide. Last year was a landmark 12 months for Qatar Airways, which inducted 15 new destinations to its network, and won the coveted Skytrax Airline of the Year Award.

As part of its ongoing expansion programme, Qatar Airways launched flights to Baku (Azerbaijan) and Tbilisi (Georgia) on February 1. The carrier will launch flights to a further 12 destinations this year – Kigali (Rwanda) from March 21; Zagreb (Croatia) from May 9; Perth (Australia) from July 3; Mombasa (Kenya) from August 15; with dates yet to be announced for other new routes – Zanzibar (Tanzania), Helsinki (Finland), Gassim (Saudi Arabia), Yangon (Myanmar), Erbil (Iraq), Baghdad (Iraq), Belgrade (Serbia) and Kilimanjaro (Tanzania).

TAROM introduces its third flight per day from Budapest to Bucharest

TAROM announces its third daily flight from Budapest to Bucharest starting with Monday, March 26, 2012.

Lufthansa A321 passenger flights demonstrate the practicality of bio-fuels

The wide-reaching benefits of alternative aviation fuels were underscored in the world’s first long-term passenger service evaluations performed by Lufthansa using a bio-fuel/kerosene mix with an A321 jetliner, and supported by Airbus.

Lufthansa showing the flag at ITB Berlin 2012

Redesigned trade fair presence in Hall 25 – Stand located close to tourism industry

After an interval of three years, Lufthansa will once again be represented with its own stand at the ITB international tourism fair in Berlin. At its newly designed stand in Hall 25, the airline will present its current business and leisure travel offerings as well as its new ground and inflight products to trade visitors and the general public. Lufthansa’s latest seat versions will also be on display, including the new Business Class seat, which will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the ITB.

“Our participation in the world’s largest tourism fair not only reflects our strong commitment to Berlin but also enables us to present a whole range of new products and service innovations for leisure and business travellers, as well as for our tourism partners,“ said Jens Bischof, member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board. “Next June, when Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport opens, we will increase dramatically the number of destinations we serve non-stop from the German capital to other countries in Europe and the Middle East – from ten to 38. We are coupling this with a new pricing concept. From Berlin we will fly our customers to dozens of European destinations for as little as 49 euros one-way.”

Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Albaugh to Speak at JP Morgan Conference on March 14

Boeing (NYSE: BA) Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Jim Albaugh will speak at the JP Morgan Aviation, Transportation and Defense Conference in New York on Wednesday, March 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. ET.

Visit http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/financial/  or http://jpmorgan.metameetings.com/webcasts/aviation12/directlink?ticker=BA  to access a link to the live broadcast of the conference.  Individuals should check the website prior to the session to ensure their computers can access the audio stream.

Olympic Air appoints AVIAREPS in France

Leading General Sales Agent and Greek airline further intensify their cooperation

AVIAREPS, the multinational aviation and tourism management expert, has been entrusted with the representation of Olympic Air in France. As a result of the yet successful cooperation of both companies, the appointment is extended to this further territory. AVIAREPS will provide the Greek carrier with a professional sales force as well as a reservations department from its Paris office. The local representation aims at strengthening Olympic Air’s market position in France and facilitating the approach to the travel trade industry and end-consumers alike.

From its base in the Greek capital, Olympic Air offers seamless onward connections to a total of 32 domestic destinations in Greece. Among them are major cities and tourist spots such as Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Rhodes and the Aegean islands.

Olympic Air currently operates a total of approximately 150 flights per day, amounting to a network of 40 destinations (8 of them being international and 32 domestic). Through its main operation base at Athens International Airport, and its secondary hubs in Thessaloniki and Rhodes, the carrier also links to beyond destinations such as Cairo/Istanbul/Larnaca/Tel Aviv. Partner codes hare agreements with Aegean Airlines, Cyprus Airways, Delta Airlines, and Etihad complete the flight network of Olympic Air, which includes also long haul services, with its partners to New York, Johannesburg, Sydney and Melbourne.

Olympic Air (OA) is one of Europe’s younger airlines, born from the acquisition of the formerly state-owned flag carrier of Greece, ‘Olympic Airlines’, by the Marfin Investment Group in April 2009.

Loyalty Partner Solutions (LPS) is New Miles & More Programme Operator

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is migrating its Miles & More programme to a new technological platform. The existing platform is replaced by an IT system developed by Munich-based Loyalty Partner Solutions (LPS). This change is the result of increasing Miles & More member numbers, more complex business processes and tougher demands with regard to campaign management, all of which require a flexible and scalable software architecture. Under the ten-year agreement, LPS will be responsible for operating and further developing the Miles & More system.

“Miles & More is one of the world’s largest and most complex frequent flyer programmes and IT projects. With the new platform and our general contractor LPS, we are setting another important milestone in the history of the programme. We are laying the foundations for a more customer-friendly system that will enable us to react faster to future technological changes,” says Günter Friedrich, Vice President Development IT Sales Systems, Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

“We are delighted to be migrating the Miles & More programme to a new technological platform,” says Christian Hess, Managing Director of Loyalty Partner Solutions. “In developing a state-of-the-art and highly flexible solution for Lufthansa, we were able to draw on, among other things, our many years of experience as an IT service provider for Europe’s biggest bonus programme Payback.”

The new system is based on the “Loyalty Management Suite” (LMS) standard solution from Loyalty Partner Solutions. This flexible software platform for setting up and operating customer loyalty programmes covers the entire chain of customer loyalty activities – from managing accounts and redemption processes to conducting advertising campaigns. It also supports interfaces to all common CRM and data warehouse systems and therefore brings together all available programme information within the company.

The solution – known as “Samba” (Special Advanced Miles & More Business Architecture) – is a central system of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. It keeps the cost of operating the classical functions of a customer loyalty programme low, while at the same time offering greater flexibility when it comes to the design of the Miles & More programme and conducting campaigns. For example, Lufthansa can now integrate new programme partners into the system more easily. Miles & More employees can also use Samba to themselves configure promotion rules stored in the system for ensuring the correct implementation of collection and redemption processes.

Just 100 days to go until the opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport

The final construction work is in full swing / BER trial runs reach the halfway mark / Relocation from Schönefeld and Tegel to BER starts in April / Public weekend three weeks before opening

Since the groundbreaking ceremony on 5 September 2006, 1,997 days of construction have passed on Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and in precisely 100 days from tomorrow (Friday), the time will have come for the new Capital Airport to go into operation. With the opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport, the existing airport system will be replaced and all air traffic will be concentrated in the new location to the south-east of Berlin. Tegel and Schönefeld will close in the evening of 2 June and on the morning of 3 June, the new airport with the IATA code BER will go into operation.
Until the opening in 100 days, the final construction work, trial runs and tenant fit-outs will all be ongoing. So what has been achieved so far? And what’s left to do? A brief overview 100 days before the opening:

Construction progress
In the 1,997 days since construction work began, the new Capital Airport has been built to the south of what is currently Schönefeld Airport. Aircraft operation areas and operational buildings have been completed, as well as the underground systems, train station and rail link, and power stations. About 5,000 builders are currently carrying out the final construction work on the building site of Berlin Brandenburg Airport. In the remaining 100 days, interior work must be carried out on the terminal, rental space developed and appurtenant areas including green spaces created. Building site facilities will be dismantled, final cleaning will be carried out and the building will be furnished.

Trial runs
The trial runs for Berlin Brandenburg Airport have reached the halfway mark: the BER trial runs started in November 2011. Ground handling, security, airline and airport staff have put the airport through its paces over the course of 17 days in so-called basic trial runs, testing systems, warming up baggage carousels and getting acquainted with their new workplaces.
10,000 airport testers from Berlin and Brandenburg have been playing the role of passengers in trial runs since February. All airport procedures – from check-in through security checks to boarding – are being tested during 30-day integrated trials. By mid May, Berlin Brandenburg Airport will have been put through its paces in a further 24 days of trial runs. Besides the usual standard procedures, emergency situations will be simulated, and intentional errors and incidents integrated: e.g. some test passengers will have to try and get through security with liquids and scissors in their hand luggage. Other testers will be tasked with demanding the return of their checked-in suitcase or asking to change seats. The idea is to simulate normal airport operations as closely as possible.

Two become one – relocating from TXL and SXF to BER
Tegel and Schönefeld Airport will start relocating to the new location in April: a relocation control centre will then be set up. In the weeks leading up to the opening of the airport, the relocation of around 190 airport users must be coordinated – 4,000 rooms and offices at BER must be arranged, and 150 shopping units filled with goods. The first batch of equipment and installations will be transported from the existing airports to Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The main logistics challenge lies in consolidating the operations of the existing airports at BER in just a few hours during the night of 2–3 June. The majority of vehicles and apron equipment (e.g. firefighting vehicles, tow tractors and other special vehicles) must be transported overnight to Berlin Brandenburg Airport. Around 600 lorry trips will be made in just one night. The autobahn from Tegel to BER will be closed in one direction for several hours.

Retail and gastronomy at BER
When the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport goes into operation, 150 shops, restaurants and service facilities will be offered across 20,000 m2. Besides well-known international brands, BER will primarily present high-class regional concepts from the retail, gastronomy and service sector. Work is already under way on developing rental space in close cooperation with the airport. All establishments will be inspected and approved by the authorities in time for the opening. The intense moving-in and relocation phase will begin for tenants immediately after the cleaning process on 21 May. All shops and restaurants must be stocked, operational procedures tested and staff trained on site. The airport will assist its tenants in this respect, too: around 1,500 sales staff will be trained in service standards and helped to settle in to their new workplace in time for the opening on 3 June.

Road and rail connections at BER
All transport connections to and from Berlin Brandenburg Airport have been completed. BER is easily accessible by road and rail and has its own motorway exit on the A113, which is conveniently connected to the A100 autobahn and the A10 outer motorway ring. Berlin Brandenburg Airport can easily be reached from the Berlin metropolitan area, the surrounding area of Brandenburg and the catchment area in Poland.
BER is also well connected to the public transport network: with a six-track train station directly below the terminal. The Airport Express and regional railway also offer various direct connections to destinations in Berlin and Brandenburg. Trains run every 15 minutes from Berlin Hauptbahnhof to Berlin Brandenburg Airport. S-Bahn trains run every 10 minutes on both Berlin‘s eastbound and southbound ring. Additional bus services supplement the local public transport options available. As well as the regional transport network, Berlin Brandenburg Airport is well connected to towns and cities further afield, both in Germany and abroad: e.g. direct connections are available to Cracow, Münster, Hamburg and Amsterdam Schiphol.

Expanding the route network
The opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport will see airlines considerably expand their flight offerings: airberlin has been offering a new long-haul flight to Abu Dhabi since January. As of May, the airline will also be offering a non-stop flight to Los Angeles. When airberlin joins the airline alliance oneworld in March, its flight offerings will be further expanded over the long term. Lufthansa has announced 30 new destinations from BER and will expand its Berlin fleet from nine to 15 aircrafts. Other airlines such as Condor, Air France and easyJet will increase the frequencies of existing flights and offer numerous new destinations as of the summer flight schedule.

General public weekend and BER opening
On 12 and 13 May, just three weeks before the opening, all Berliners and Brandenburgers are cordially invited to get to know the new Capital Airport. The public festival “Around the terminal” will be the last opportunity to wander around the new terminal. Visitors can expect a child- and family-friendly festival on the apron, helicopter flights, music, entertainment and useful information on the new airport. On 24 May, BER Airport will be officially opened by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Governing Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit and Brandenburg’s Minister President Matthias Platzeck.

British Airways’ Cabin Crew Takes Part in Chain of Hope Walk

A team of ten British Airways cabin crew from Gatwick will walk with the fastest man in the world later this month for a cause that is close to all their hearts.

The crew of BA2263 will operate a flight from London Gatwick to Kingston, Jamaica and then join world champion and current Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt for the 5.6km Sigma Walkathon in aid of the Chain of Hope charity.

British Airways has a long-standing partnership with Chain of Hope, a charity set up by the eminent heart surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, who plans to establish a brand new cardiac centre at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.

The 10 cabin crew champions, Kayti Roberts, Suzi Ball, Christina Smith, Kerryanne Meehan, Camilla Broglia, Michelle Oakes, Emma Oliver, Sarah Hill, Robert Brock and Louise Speakman, also plan to visit the hospital during their three-day stay inKingston.

Some of them have visited previously and have sat in on cardiac surgery procedures on children with life-threatening heart diseases.

The UK charity sends out medical teams to treat children in their own country, setting up training programmes for local surgeons and medical staff. But the number of operations that can be performed is limited by the number of Intensive Care Unit beds available. The new cardiac centre will house 10 new beds, an operating theatre and a catheter laboratory and allow doctors to help many more children in need of life saving surgery.

Kayti Roberts from Haywards Heath is one of the crew members making a return visit to the hospital. She said: “I was fortunate enough to sit in on open heart surgery on a young child and it was a life changing experience.

“Chain of Hope is such a fantastic charity, Magdi Yacoub is an amazing man and everyone is so passionate about what they do and the difference they make to these children’s lives. It is fantastic that British Airways supports the charity and that we are all getting the chance to help by taking part in the walkathon.”

Up to 500 children are born with congenital heart disease in Jamaica every year. Of these, half require medical or surgical intervention or face a premature death. The current waiting list for cardiac surgery at the Bustamante Hospital is at least 150 children, with 100 new patients added to the list annually.

Emirates Discovers Lisbon as New Destination

Daily service to start on 9th July

DUBAI, UAE – Emirates is setting its sights on the land of Vasco da Gama by announcing flights to Portugal from 9th July.

The airline, further extending its European reach, will start a daily service to Lisbon in the south west corner of Europe, just six days after launching flights to Barcelona in neighbouring Spain.

Emirates will serve Lisbon with a modern Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, a far cry from more than 500 years ago when Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama put to sea in search of a passage to India.

Offering First Class, Business Class and Economy Class cabins, EK 191 will leave Dubai at 0915hrs each day and arrive in Lisbon at 1445hrs. The return flight, EK 192 departs Lisbon at 1755hrs and gets into Dubai at 0435hrs the next day. The Portuguese capital becomes Emirates’ 31st European destination.

“Lisbon has been on our European wish-list for some time. Our daily flight will link this far western corner of Europe with our strong route network, via Dubai, into Africa, across Asia and beyond, said Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline. “We will be the only carrier based in the Middle East operating into Portugal, bringing our refreshing approach to customer service, our dynamic and inspiring approach to business, along with superb value for money,” Mr Clark added.

“We are delighted to welcome Emirates to Lisbon and we look forward to a long and successful partnership with our newest airline client,” said Lisbon Airport Director João Nunes.“Emirates have established a high level of excellence and admiration within the aviation community and we are confident that passengers will be eager to take advantage of the new route for travel to the Middle East and beyond. Connectivity is essential for business and for tourism and this new flight and the onward connections that it will provide will be very beneficial for the Portuguese economy,” Mr Nunes added.

Portugal has a population of around 10 million, of which nearly 2 million live in Lisbon and its suburbs. It is estimated there are some 200 million Portuguese speakers around the world, making it the third most spoken European language globally, according to Visit Portugal.

Through its industry-leading international hub in Dubai, the airline serves many of the countries where Portuguese is heard including India, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Brazil and Hong Kong – gateway to the former Portuguese enclave of Macau.

Since joining what became the European Union in the mid-1980s, Portugal’s traditional focus on an agricultural economy has become increasingly diversified, with a steady expansion of the service sector.

As one of Europe’s warmest countries, Portugal is a popular tourist destination. Its better known attractions, such as the resorts of the Algarve, are supplemented by medieval castles and scenic villages dotted around winding coastlines and hillsides.

Portugal has more than 800 kilometres of Atlantic coast and is the primary point of access to the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira.

In Lisbon, visitors can sip an espresso on the leafy streets, go window shopping in Chiado square, visit Jeronimos Monastery, the World Heritage Site and resting place for Vasco da Gama, or view treasured art at places such as Calouste Gulbenkian and Berardo museums.

Lisbon was recently ranked the 7th best city in Europe for shopping by the ‘Globe Shopper City Index’ of The Economist Intelligence Unit.  The city also ranks 8th in the world for international conferences and events, according to the International Conferences and Congress Association (ICCA).

Portugal’s main exports feature textiles, clothing, wood products, machinery, tools and electrical equipment. Emirates SkyCargo, offering 17 tonnes of belly-hold capacity in the 777-200ER, will be on hand to assist importers and exporters.

The new service follows a trend of growing links between Portugal and the UAE. Portugal opened its embassy in the UAE in 2010 and the UAE reciprocated in Lisbon last year.

With a fleet of 169 aircraft, Emirates now flies to 121 destinations, having recently launched Dallas, Lusaka and Harare. Services to Seattle start on 1st March, flights to Ho Chi Minh City get underway from 4th June and Barcelona joins the Emirates’ network on 3rd July.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Arrives in Singapore

- First passenger airplane made from composite materials visits Southeast Asia on Dream Tour

- 787′s ability to fly long distance, point-to-point routes appeals to passengers wanting to avoid hub airports

SINGAPORE, Feb. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing’s (NYSE: BA) new mid-size passenger airplane, the 787 Dreamliner, touched down  for the Singapore Airshow. The airplane will be on static display Feb. 14 -17.

The Dreamliner demonstrated its long-range capabilities a few days ago, flying nonstop from Seattle’s Boeing Field toBangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport — a distance of 7,679 miles (12,358 km).

The 787, the first new airplane type of the 21st century, has garnered more than 800 orders from airlines around the globe. Singapore Airlines has 20 of the higher capacity 787-9s on order.

Made from lighter composite materials, the 787 is the first mid-size passenger airplane capable of flying nonstop to many more distant cities without having to go through a hub airport. That capability for a mid-size jet pleases not only passengers who would no longer need to detour to a hub airport, but also airlines who can establish long-haul routes previously served only by jumbo jets requiring many more passengers to be profitable.

The Dreamliner is in the midst of a six-month Dream Tour taking it around the world so customers and partners can experience the revolutionary jet first hand. The Dream Tour airplane, test plane ZA003, is outfitted with the 787′s special cabin features including a welcoming entryway, dramatically larger dimmable windows, bigger bins and dynamic LED lighting. The airplane is configured with a luxurious business-class cabin, an overhead crew rest compartment and an economy class section.

Aviation enthusiasts can follow the progress of the 787 tour at www.newairplane.com/787/dreamtour.

First “passengers” to test new Berlin Brandenburg Airport

Trial operations involving volunteer testers officially began this week. On 7 February, 116 days before the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport opens, the first passengers checked in. Approximately 250 airport testers simulated departing passengers. All the processes involved in a normal flight were tested, from check-in to security checks and boarding.

“Starting this week, we will spend almost four months checking all the aspects of normal flight operations at BER. From now on until May, 10,000 airport testers will play the role of passengers and help us to simulate the processes at Berlin Brandenburg Airport as realistically as possible,” said Prof. Dr Rainer Schwarz, CEO of Berlin Brandenburg Airport. “We are very pleased with how the first days went because most of our processes worked well. The vast majority of testers gave us positive feedback and made valuable comments which we will now assess and integrate in future simulations.”

“During trial operations at Berlin Brandenburg Airport, we will try out all our systems and processes,” explained Dr Manfred A. Körtgen, Managing Director of Operations/BBI at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. “Our aim is to identify and rectify any errors in the workflows before the airport opens. With the help of the pretend passengers, we want to pave the way for real operations to commence as smoothly as possible on 3 June.”

Schedule for trial operations using airport testers

Following a safety briefing and an explanation of the day’s schedule, the volunteers were allowed to enter the new terminal as its first wave of passengers. Simulated departures on the first day included flights to Vienna, Munich and London operated by airberlin, Lufthansa and easyJet respectively. Allocated to the various flights, the airport testers headed for their check-in desks pushing trolleys laden with suitcases which were provided for the test run. After checking in their luggage and receiving their boarding passes, they went through the security checkpoints operated by the German border police. Once through security, the testers proceeded to the main pier at the other end of the terminal, where they simulated boarding at their gate.

As well as practising the normal procedure from check-in to security and boarding, some airport testers were given “event cards” to enact exceptional scenarios. These special situations included withdrawing from a flight after checking in and asking to change seats when boarding.

Background

The new airport will be tested between November 2011 and May 2012. Trial runs with volunteers commenced on 7 February. Around 10,000 airport testers will test all operational procedures, from check-in to security checks to arrivals and departures. In total, 18,000 people from the area volunteered to participate in the test runs.

Over 100,000 check-ins will be simulated and up to 300,000 pieces of luggage will be sorted by the baggage system before the opening of the airport. In total, over 500 processes will be tested.

Work has been under way since September 2006 to transform Schönefeld Airport into the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport. From 3 June 2012, this airport in South-East Berlin will handle all flights to and from the Berlin Brandenburg region. As step one of the process, Tempelhof Airport was closed on 30 October 2008. Tegel and Schönefeld Airports will be closed in 2012 when BER opens.

Your Personal Snapshots showing the Star Alliance Gold Benefits Could Be Rewarded with Fantastic Prizes

FRANKFURT, Germany – February 9^th, 2012 – Travel on the Star Alliance network, take photos of the Alliance’s Gold benefits and enter a fantastic prize draw. All this is now possible with the Alliance’s “Picture your Upgrade” promotion which is running from now through April 4^th, 2012.

Christopher Korenke, VP Commercial at Star Alliance commented: “Providing our most loyal customers with a set of consistent and enhanced benefits across the entire network has been a cornerstone of the Star Alliance customer proposition since our founding nearly 15 years ago. With our ‘Picture your Upgrade’ promotion we are highlighting these to our travellers, using a combination of mobile communication and social media tools.”

In order to participate, a special app has been designed for the iPhone, Android and Blackberry smart-phone platforms which can be downloaded by visiting www.staralliance.com. Using the app, participants will be asked to submit photos of objects which they find during their travels and which symbolise the Alliance’s Gold customer benefits. Each week a different task related to Gold benefits will be made available to all those who have downloaded the app and will also be posted on the Star Alliance facebook page.

During the first week of the promotion participants are being asked to submit photos of airport departure boards. These symbolise the Star Alliance Gold benefits of Priority Waitlist and Priority Stand-by. The winners of this part of the promotion will be able to receive a higher priority on more than air travel, through their complimentary membership to Quintessentially, the leading luxury Private Members’ Club with a 24 hour global concierge service.

Further Star Alliance Gold benefits, such as Priority Check-In, Boarding and Baggage, as well as extra baggage allowance and lounge access will be featured later in the promotion.  Prizes for the lucky winners submitting the best pictures include: accommodation in a Five Star Hotel Suite, luxury luggage, designer furniture, VIP experiences and Business Class return tickets. In addition, all participants automatically enter the grand prize draw which could see them win either a pair of Star Alliance Round the World Business Class tickets or a status upgrade to Gold in the Star Alliance Frequent Flyer Programme in which they are enrolled.

The benefits accorded to Star Alliance Gold Card holders are as follows:

• Access to more than 990 Airport Lounges
• Priority Airport Check-in
• Priority Boarding
• Extra Baggage Allowance
• Priority Baggage Handling
• Priority Reservations Waitlisting
• Priority Airport Standby

New Warsaw Airport Secure Second Major Airline

MANCHESTER, England, February 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –
Airport Strategy & Marketing (ASM), a UBM Aviation brand, revealed today its role in helping the new Warsaw Modlin Airport (Warsaw, Poland) land its second major scheduled airline, Ryanair. The announcement came just one week after Wizz Air had announced its intention to base four A320 aircraft at the new airport as part of their development plans in Poland and the region.

The commitments made by Ryanair and Wizz Air will deliver a combined 2 million passengers per year for Warsaw Modlin Airport. These agreements mark the largest ever route success for ASM on behalf of one of its airport clients and indeed for any consultancy in the area of air service development.

Earlier today, Ryanair announced at a press conference in Warsaw that it would open 8 routes from Warsaw to Brussels, Budapest, Dublin, London, Milan, Oslo, Rome and Stockholm as soon as Warsaw’s new Modlin airport opens on 16 July 2012. The airline estimates that these eight new routes will deliver at least 700,000 passengers per year for the airport.

Wizz Air had announced on 1 February that it planned to handle more than 1.25 million passengers from Warsaw Modlin in the first year, serving 19 Destinations.

“Ryanair and Wizz Air are two key players in European aviation, and for the two of them to give such a strong commitment to Warsaw Modlin Airport underlines the potential for the Polish capital’s new gateway” said Tony Griffin, Senior Vice President ASM. “ASM is delighted to have played its part in making these agreements happen. It really shows our team at its most effective, helping negotiate and deliver new routes on behalf of our airport clients”.

Just 35km north of the centre of Warsaw Modlin Airport is due to open in July 2012. More information on ASM’s services can be found at http://www.asm-global.com.

RYANAIR TO OPEN BUDAPEST BASE IN TWO WEEKS WITH 31 NEW ROUTES

Aegean Airlines to launch flights to Budapest

Despite the tough economic environment in Greece, AEGEAN continues to strengthen its international presence.