Airline News

www.Parctel.com: bmi regional, officially the UK's most punctual and reliable airline, today announces another new international air route from Leeds Bradford and a first for the UK.

Starting 23 April, direct flights will link Leeds Bradford with Lille in northern France six days a week with convenient flight schedules for both business and leisure purpose travellers. Flights are also timed to offer excellent connections at Leeds Bradford to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The new flights not only mark the first direct air route between the French airport and the UK, but will also create an important air link between two key industrial cities which are also twinned. Both Leeds and Lille are busy transport logistics hubs, serving many similar industries including mail order and textiles. Lille is also France's third largest city, a leading commerce centre with a growing profile and gaining popularity as a tourism destination and alternative gateway to northern France. Previously unserved from the UK, passengers travelling to Lille would need to fly into Paris and take onward ground connections, similarly travellers to Leeds and the north of England would need to travel via London or Manchester.

Stewart Adams, managing director bmi regional, said:
"This is an important addition to the bmi regional European flight network and underlines our commitment to serving Leeds Bradford Airport and the surrounding region.

"Leeds and Lille already share a common and special link with their twin-city status. This important new air link will not only serve to strengthen that bond in terms of both business and tourism, but will also raise their respective profiles and encourage more opportunities."

Cllr Stewart Golton, Chair of the Board of Directors of Leeds Bradford Airport said:
"It is exciting news to hear that Leeds Bradford will be the first UK airport to have a service to Lille. With strong business links in the Yorkshire region, Lille will prove extremely popular with the textile and mail order sectors. As we are also twinned cities, this news will be greatly received and will strengthen the connections and existing relationships even further."

Jean-Christophe Minot, Lille Airport ceo, said:
"The Lille community and airport welcomes bmi regional and our first scheduled air service to the UK. Leeds and Lille enjoy a close business and historical relationship. Our two dynamic cities will now become even closer thanks to the new, direct flights."

This latest announcement from bmi regional follows the recent news that the Aberdeen based airline and subsidiary of bmi will be increasing its jet aircraft fleet by 25% during 2007 and also launching direct Leeds Bradford-Copenhagen flights from 26 March.

Using modern Embraer jet aircraft on the new route, passengers can look forward to attractive business and economy fares and the renowned bmi regional service, which continues to offer complimentary in-flight refreshments to all passengers.

bmi regional also continues to be the UK's most punctual airline, according to CAA published statistics. Unrivalled punctuality and reliance in the air is matched with speed and efficiency on the ground with business lounge facilities and range of check-in options, including online or self-service check-in.

www.Parctel.com: easyJet, Europe's leading low-fares airline, today announced it would launch a new daily service between Geneva and Brussels on 29 June 2007.

Brussels Airport is a new addition to the easyJet network and marks the airline's entry in to the Belgium market, increasing the total number of countries served by easyJet's unique brand of low fares with care and convenience to 20.

The new route is the result of the delivery of the 8th aircraft to easyJet's base at Geneva Airport, which will now offer a choice of 31 destinations.

Seats are on sale now at www.easyjet.com with fares from €32.99 one way.

With the midweek frequency doubling from 10 September the route is expected to be popular with business and leisure passenger alike.

www.Parctel.com: easyJet, the south west's largest airline, today unveiled plans to launch yet another new route from it's Bristol base to the Italian fashion capital, Milan. This new daily service will commence on 23 April 2007 with fares from just £24.99 one way (£42.98 return including tax) and the airline expects to carry 100,000 passengers on this route in the next 12 months.

David Osborne, easyJet’s UK General Manager, said:

"easyJet is once again showing its continued commitment to Bristol with the announcement of this new route to Milan. Following on from the success of our Bristol to Paris route we are also delighted to announce that this route will increase from one to two flights daily from October.

easyJet recognises that these two routes are essential for Bristol, not just for the people of the south west travelling for business or leisure but also to boost the local economy from inbound tourism and business links. easyJet continues to be committed to Bristol airport and to offering it's famously low fares as well as great destinations across Europe"

Commenting on the announcement, Tony Hallwood Bristol International’s Aviation Development Director, said:

“This is fantastic news for the airport and the region as easyJet extends its network to include Milan.

“Business and leisure passengers wishing to travel to one of Italy’s most cosmopolitan cities now have a great choice of convenient direct daily flights. Milan has something to offer everyone from cultural highlights, to luxury shopping in its internationally famous boutiques.

“In addition to being one of the world’s key financial and commercial centres, the city is a popular and convenient gateway for those wishing to travel to visit the Italian Lakes and Mountains. Furthermore, the South West of England will benefit from the many opportunities created by inbound tourism.”

Milan is a city full of culture and top of the "to see" list has to be Il Duomo. This gothic marvel, with 135 spires, took the best part of 500 years to complete. Sant'Ambrogio in the Piazza Sant'Ambrogio is Milan's most important basilica, and also one of its most beautiful, dating from 379 AD.

Milan is also home to some important museums including the Museo Teatrale alla Scala, which is full of historical mementos of this celebrated opera house. If you get tired of all the culture Milan is, of course, a centre of high fashion, famous for its designer shops and boutiques. Should you want to venture further afield, the spectacular Italian ski resort of Livigno is just four hours' drive away. Or Lake Como is just 30 minutes away by car or an hour by train.

www.Parctel.com: easyJet, Europe's leading low-fares airline, today opens the doors to its new head office at London Luton airport, Hanger 89. Four members of staff, from different departments, who hold the accolade of longest service at easyJet, will ceremoniously cut a ribbon to officially open easyJet's new home.

The former Britannia/TUI building is located just 150 metres from its current office, easyLand. Management and admin staff from the low-fares carrier will gradually make the move over the coming week.

Work began last year when the airline appointed Office Design and fit- out specialist Area Sq the £3.1 million refurbishment project for easyJet’s new Head Office at the Airport. H89 was built in 1974 and had kept its traditional 1970s office style, but it has now been customised to fit the easyJet open culture and principles of simplicity. The huge hangar has been painted in orange, the airline's corporate colour, with an open plan interior to reflect the airline's 'less is more' approach.

In addition to over 30,000 sq ft of office space, H89 can house three Airbus 319s/Boeing 737s at any one time, giving the airline much-needed hangar space at London Luton Airport. Consolidating the premises also means savings to the business, which ultimately will be passed on to the consumer.

Andy Harrison, easyJet CEO, said:

"This is a very exciting day for easyJet as we move to our new head office at London Luton airport. Our current building at easyLand has been a great start for the airline in its younger years but now it's time to move to Hanger 89 which will better serve the needs of the business.

To see the hangar painted in easyJet's signature orange is a fabulous sight and I am certainly looking forward to making the move"

www.Parctel.com: In 2006, Air Berlin PLC, Germany’s second-largest airline company, recorded a net profit of approximately EUR 50 million. As Air Berlin’s Chief Financial Officer, Ulf Hüttmeyer, stated in Berlin on Monday 26 February 2007, sales revenue in 2006 amounted to EUR 1.57 billion, corresponding to a 28.6 per cent increase in comparison with the previous year (2005: EUR 1.22 billion). Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and lease expenses (EBITDAR) increased by 67.4 per cent, namely from EUR 153.2 million (in 2005) to EUR 256.5 million. In 2006, operating income (EBIT before interest and taxes) amounted to EUR 64.1 million (2005: EUR -5.5 million); after deducting interest and taxes, net earnings of EUR 50.057 million were recorded. In 2005, Air Berlin had still reported a loss amounting to EUR 115.9 million.

"By achieving the best operating result in the history of our company, we reached all the targets we had set ourselves for 2006. Despite the costs of going public and the integration of dba, which Air Berlin acquired in August 2006, our net profit even exceeded the expectations of most analysts", stated Joachim Hunold, Air Berlin’s Chief Executive Officer. On March 27, the company will disclose details of its results for the year at the balance sheet press conference in Berlin.

www.Parctel.com: The European Commission is currently considering whether, on competition grounds, to permit Ryanair to acquire Aer Lingus.

The deadline for making a decision on the transaction was extended today by the European Commission, with the agreement of Ryanair, from 11 May 2007 to 13 June 2007.

Ryanair is confident, as it has been throughout the process, that this transaction will be cleared by the European Commission as it is a pro-competitive and pro-consumer deal, which will bring lower fares, greater efficiency, new aircraft and more choice for consumers around Europe. It will enable Ryanair to take on the traditional/national airlines, who continue to fleece European consumers with high fares and unjustified fuel surcharges.

www.Parctel.com: Wanderlust Travel Awards 2007 places Flybe.com above all other airline websites

Flybe.com, the website for Flybe, one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines, has been honoured by Wanderlust magazine in its 2007 Travel Awards, with Flybe placed above any other airline making it the best airline website in the UK.

The awards, voted for by readers of the travel magazine, were announced in the March issue of Wanderlust and are based on both votes and customer satisfaction, thus accurately reflecting what travellers think.

The outcome of the prestigious poll reflects Flybe’s simple yet intuitive website that receives 1.5 million unique visitors every month.

Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer, Flybe commented: “For Flybe.com to be recognised as the best airline website is a great honour for us, especially as the awards take customer satisfaction into account.

“The honour is a testament to the hard work of the web design team at Flybe who have worked tirelessly to make the website as accessible as possible. We look forward to building on this success and hopefully featuring again in next years awards.”

www.Parctel.com: Ricky Ponting, captain of the Emirates-sponsored Australian cricket squad, along with team-mates Nathan Bracken and late call up Stuart Clark, were at Sydney International Airport on Sunday to unveil the 2007 World Cup uniform.

The distinct green and gold uniform will be worn for all games in the West Indies as Ponting and his team bid for a third successive ICC Cricket World Cup victory.

Earlier this month, Emirates, the Dubai-based multi-award winning airline, announced a major sponsorship of the defending champions; underlining Emirates’ commitment to Australia. The Emirates sponsorship of Australia’s World Cup team sees Emirates branding appear on the team uniform and training apparel while in the West Indies.

The West Indies plays host to the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup with play in the first match getting underway on 13th March. Australia’s defence will begin on 14th March when they face Scotland in St Kitts.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said: “Emirates has a long and successful partnership with the Australian team and we were with them when they won the Cricket World Cup in 1999. We wish them the best of luck in retaining the World Cup.”

Ponting said: "We are all looking forward to a challenging and successful two months of Cricket.

“We are proud to be associated with Emirates during our World Cup campaign and hope we can repeat the victory of 1999 when Emirates was our team sponsor.”

Emirates is also the naming rights sponsor of the Celebration of Australian One-Day International Cricket event and ICC World Cup departure celebration on 27th February at Luna Park in Sydney.

The gala event will reunite all players who have represented Australia in limited-overs cricket as well as announce the greatest Australian One-Day International team of all-time.

Australia’s 1987 World Cup winning squad will also be honoured with a retrospective presentation of World Cup Champions rings of the type presented to the 1999 and 2003 World Cup winners.

Emirates has always had a strong affiliation with cricket and in addition to their sponsorship of the Australian Cricket World Cup team, it also sponsors the ICC Umpires and is the Official Airline to Cricket Australia.

Fast bowler Stuart Clark (right) still smiling after being called up as a last minute replacement for the ICC World Cup. He joins Nathan Bracken (left) and Captain Ricky Ponting (centre) to unveil the Emirates-sponsored Australian Cricket World Cup squad’s team uniform for the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup at Sydney International Airport. Also pictured are Emirates cabin crew members Kirsi Urpilainen and Milena Diaz.

This comment on the service from Ryanair comes from Kevin Altizer's Blog:

It was a nice trip to Pisa. Everything went great until we checked in for our flight home. It was cancelled! We had a couple options – #1 – Wait 7.5 hours, fly to Frankfurt, then pay for a train ride to Eindhoven (would’ve been reimbursed) – #2 – Wait 12 hours, fly to London, then wait 5 hours and fly to Eindhoven. We took the latter option. The waiting wasn’t bad enough, we had to sleep on the floor in Stansted Airport, London. Needless to say, I’m not happy with Ryanair! Sure, they have cheap flights all over Europe, but their service is not so good. I DO NOT like the first-come-first-serve seating method. I defineately do not like spending several hours waiting in airports, and much less sleeping on the floor!

www.Parctel.com: Qantas Defence Services (QDS) today signed a contract with the Defence Material Organisation to provide support services for the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) fleet of five A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft.

The Chief Executive Officer of Qantas, Mr Geoff Dixon, said the contract provided for the provision of technical, spares, training and maintenance support to the tanker fleet for the entire period the aircraft remained in service with the RAAF.

"Under this contract, QDS will establish a support organisation at the RAAF Base Amberley in 2008, in preparation for the arrival of the first tanker from Spain," Mr Dixon said.

"This will create new employment opportunities for up to 50 people within the Amberley facility."

The contract follows a successful joint bid in 2004 by EADS CASA and Qantas to provide the RAAF with a tanker version of the A330-200.

Mr Dixon said EADS CASA and Qantas would convert four A330-200s into the RAAF tanker variant in Australia. He said the fifth aircraft, already converted, would be the first delivered directly to the RAAF from Spain.

"Qantas' experience in the operation and maintenance of its own A330 commercial aircraft fleet means the very best skills and expertise will be available in providing future maintenance support to the RAAF's tanker fleet here in Australia."

Mr Dixon said QDS would continue to provide maintenance support for the Australian military from its Richmond, Sydney, Canberra and Amberley maintenance facilities.

www.Parctel.com: American Airlines is launching an initiative to become the clear-cut airline of choice for passengers in the New York market. In the coming weeks and months, American will demonstrate its commitment to New York with additional routes, enhanced offers, and promotions.

American, the world’s largest airline and a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, and American Eagle combine to carry more than 16 million passengers each year to and from the five New York-area airports (John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark, White Plains/Westchester County, and Newburgh/Stewart) on more than 175,000 flights to and from more than 60 business and leisure destinations.

“We want to make it crystal clear that American Airlines and American Eagle are the airlines of choice for the greater New York area,” said David Cush, American’s Senior Vice President of Global Sales. “It’s no secret that New York is a critical market for all major airlines, especially American, and we intend to be New York’s favorite airline through some of the actions we have begun taking, as well as those coming in the months ahead.

“For more than 80 years, we have offered convenient service from the New York market to locations throughout the U.S. and the world. We offer competitive pricing on all of our routes. We are the largest U.S. airline flying out of New York to London and the Caribbean, as well as from JFK and LaGuardia to Canada. Our 8,300 New York-area employees are among the largest airline workforce in this region, and they are proud of our legacy. We want to be No. 1 --- the preferred airline -- in New York,” Cush said.

New York-area customers already have started to receive a taste of what American Airlines has in store for them in 2007 and in the years to come. For example:

* Last month, American announced upgrading its seasonal service between Rome and the United States to year-round service beginning April 10. Using Boeing 767-300 widebody aircraft, American will fly daily from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Rome’s Fiumicino/Leonardo da Vinci Intercontinental Airport. Then for the low-peak travel season, beginning Oct. 28 and continuing through March 31, 2008, the service will be flown three times per week from JFK (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday) and four times a week from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday).
* Earlier this month, American Airlines offered customers who buy a roundtrip First or Business Class ticket for travel between JFK and London’s Heathrow Airport through May 31 the opportunity to earn up to three free* trips anywhere American flies in the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska), Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.
* Two weeks ago, American launched a promotion allowing passengers flying Business Class from JFK to Heathrow through March 31 the opportunity to get a free upgrade to First Class when purchasing a qualifying** Business Class fare.
* American’s new, $1.1 billion state-of-the-art terminal at JFK will be completed later this summer, which will provide for the region’s future travel needs for years to come. The new terminal will feature nearly 1.5 million square feet, 36 gates, 101 ticketing positions (more than any other airline at JFK), and 10 security checkpoint lanes that can process more than 1,900 passengers an hour.
* American is beginning to phase in a feature on its AA.com website that allows AAdvantage program members to more easily find dates to book award travel using frequent-flyer miles.
* American plans to spend more on advertising in 2007 than in previous years to have the loudest voice in New York. The company plans to promote its message and service enhancements via various media.

New Service to Cincy, Raleigh/Durham, Atlanta, Louisville, SF, Vegas and much more is coming. For example, effective April 10, American Eagle will add new service from LaGuardia Airport to Cincinnati. American Airlines will add one mainline jet flight to complement existing American Eagle service from LaGuardia to Raleigh/Durham, N.C., making it the only airline to offer mainline jet service between LaGuardia and Raleigh/Durham. Service from Atlanta to LaGuardia will be converted to all mainline jet service with four daily flights (details provided below). Later this year, American Eagle plans to begin service from LaGuardia to Louisville, Ky.

West-bound travelers from New York will also benefit. Later this summer, American will add a sixth daily flight from JFK to San Francisco. That will boost American’s transcontinental service to 22 daily flights from JFK and Newark to Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle.

New service from JFK to Las Vegas will begin in September to give New York-area customers a new leisure destination. The new service from JFK will also benefit American’s international customers and international customers arriving on oneworld airlines through easy connections.

For passengers traveling to the Caribbean and South America, American plans to increase the number of weekly roundtrips later this year between JFK and Port-au- Prince, Haiti, and Caracas, Venezuela.

Premium Services for NY Travelers
The additional flights build on American’s recent investments in premium-class products and facilities used by New York-area travelers. For example:

* Passengers will get to enjoy American’s Next Generation Business Class on the airline’s 767-300 and 777 aircraft beginning this year, making business travel that much more comfortable for passengers on international flights originating from JFK.
* American’s $20 million investment in its 767-200 aircraft flown between JFK and Los Angeles and JFK and San Francisco will provide approximately 11,000 new First Class seats annually, lighter and brighter interiors, and new inflight entertainment to complement the already redesigned First and Business Class transcontinental menus.
* Four Admirals Club® lounges – two at JFK, and one each at LaGuardia and Newark – offer customers a quiet oasis to work or relax before or after flights. A new Flagship Lounge at JFK for international First and Business Class passengers will open later this summer.
* American recently enhanced its Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge policy to allow full fare or AAdvantage Award*** Business Class passengers flying on three-class Transcontinental aircraft complimentary access into the Admirals Club lounge and full fare or AAdvantage Award*** First Class passengers complimentary access to its Flagship Lounge.
* More than 70 Self-Service Check-in machines are located at New York area airports, including 33 at JFK, 29 at LaGuardia and 10 at Newark. Last year, more than 3.2 million customers used the convenient machines to help speed them through the terminal and on to their flights. International check-in is available via self-service for passengers traveling beyond the U.S. from JFK and LaGuardia. Passengers can also purchase Admirals Club day passes, upgrades, and confirmed flight changes on the self-service machines.

“American’s new terminal at JFK is world class in every respect,” said Chuck Imhof, American’s Vice President of Passenger Sales – Greater New York. “From the dramatic 57,000-square foot lobby in the Main Terminal with its 65-foot ceiling, to the two new Admirals Club Lounges and Flagship Lounge providing approximately 30,000 square feet of luxury, the terminal is truly fitting of the stature of a great city like New York. All of us at American and American Eagle are thrilled that we can offer this to our customers.”

In the Community
Together, American and American Eagle employ approximately 8,300 people in the New York area, and approximately 4,500 retirees. The airlines’ presence indirectly supports an additional 182,000 jobs in the region, making the two airlines key participants in the area’s economy. Overall, American and American Eagle combined to spend $1.75 billion in New York in 2006. The company is estimated to have an $11.1 billion impact on the New York economy.

American’s and American Eagle’s impact in New York also is evident in community, civic and volunteer activities. American provides sponsorships and in-kind giving to organizations and events throughout the New York area such as Citymeals-on-Wheels, the Lincoln Center Theater, the annual Puerto Rico Day and Chinese New Year parades, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, and Aaron Davis Hall Performing Arts. In addition, airline employees are involved in service organizations throughout the metropolitan area, helping to bring people together to build better communities and to enhance the area’s quality of life.

“American and American Eagle are proud to have been a part of the New York community – professionally and personally – for so many years,” said Imhof. “We are committed to New York and grateful for the longtime support we have received here. And we look forward to providing our customers even more in the years ahead.”

www.Parctel.com: Highland Airways, the long established Inverness based regional airline, has won the first ever Welsh PSO (public service obligation) route sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government (subject to no objections being received to the procurement process).

Highland will offer twice daily Monday to Friday flights linking Cardiff International Airport with Anglesey (RAF Valley). A fully pressurised 19 seat Jetstream 31 will the used for the service. The airline plans to introduce the route in April.

“We are very pleased and honoured to be awarded this first air route in Wales promoted for the needs of the community”, said Highland Airways commercial director Basil O’Fee. “Clearly our experience in serving the remote Western Isles all the year around was a major factor in securing this competitive contract. Our selected aircraft type is also ideal for the anticipated usage and route sector length. We offer scheduled passenger flights from Inverness to and within the Western Isles, and we undertake a range of other passenger freight and reconnaissance aerial work”.

“The new route will be of great benefit to Wales from a commercial, and tourism point of view, avoiding a tiresome five hour road journey each way. It is subsidised, but in our view is capable of being developed into a fully standalone and successful route given some time. It opens up a new era in terms of Welsh national integration through better links between the north and south. Our timetable will be designed to permit a day’s business to be achieved at either end of the route”.

Established in 1991 Highland Airways has provided scheduled PSO flights for Western Isles Council since 2001. The Inverness base includes the company’s own modern hangarage and internal engineering support. The company is also involved in offshore and oil related business with aircraft based in Aberdeen and corporate shuttles with a further two aircraft based in NW England.

www.Parctel.com: Regional airline pilot training is being revolutionised by Eastern Airways as it invests in its very own state-of-the-art Jetstream 41 aircraft simulator.

The *award winning niche carrier, which is the largest operator of Jetstream 41 aircraft in the world, has entered a partnership venture worth $12 million with one of the world’s leading pilot training centres - Pan Am International Flight Academy – and had thea simulator delivered to its headquarters at Humberside Airport in North Lincolnshire.

The investment enables Eastern Airways’ Jetstream 41 pilots to be trained in-house, on site, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With over 90 Jetstream 41 aircraft flying throughout the world, the simulator will also be available for use by other airline operators.

“No other regional airline our size has its own aircraft simulator and this new initiative demonstrates just how committed we are to further developing our pilot training by bringing specialist simulator training in-house,” said captain Matt Wood, Eastern Airways’ flight operations director. “We fly more Jetstream 41s than any other airline in the world and this venture will provide enhanced training benefits to our pilots and engineers.

“We will also be providing a vital service to other airlines with customers booking in from as far afield as South Africa and the Far East. This initiative will also result in considerable efficiency savings, as pilots will be trained by our own team of experts,” added Matt Wood.

Humberside Airport’s managing director, Rob Goldsmith said: “We are thrilled that Humberside Airport has become a centre of excellence for pilot training through the tremendous endeavours of our resident airline, Eastern Airways. The airline already specialises in aircraft heavy maintenance and it is very exciting to see major development in pilot training taking place in a new simulator facility here at Humberside.”

Pilots are required to train on the simulator at least twice a year and up until now Eastern Airways’ 150 pilots who fly the Jetstream 41 have had to travel to Washington DC in America, which was the nearest location for the simulator.

The cockpit layout and performance of the simulator is identical to that of the Jetstream 41 aircraft. Recurrent and initial pilot training will take place on the simulator. It has an enormous database of navigational and radio aids and its systems 100% simulate hundreds of life-like flights routings.

www.Parctel.com: British Airways has taken the first step towards expanding its longhaul fleet by ordering four Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft for delivery during early 2009.

The airline has also taken out options on four Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft for delivery in 2010.

Robert Boyle, British Airways' commercial director, said: "These new aircraft will enable us to grow our longhaul business after we move to Terminal 5.

"It was a close decision between the Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s. However, the ease of assimilating up to eight aircraft into our existing 777 fleet, rather than having a small number of A330s, swung the balance in Boeing's favour.

"We are confident of a similarly competitive approach from both manufacturers as we move towards our major longhaul fleet renewal and expansion order later this year."

Negotiations continue with GE and Rolls Royce about which engines will be used on the new Boeing 777 aircraft.

The airline's competition for additional and replacement longhaul aircraft to be delivered in the next decade is considering the Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing 787, Boeing 777 and Boeing 747-8. The first aircraft to be replaced will be 20 Boeing 747s and 14 Boeing 767s, the oldest of which are currently 17 years' old.

www.Parctel.com: oneworld has been named the best airline alliance for in-flight wines in Business Traveller magazine's 2006 Cellars in the Sky Awards. Presented at the UK Business Travel Show last week, the awards are run in association with Wine & Spirit magazine and the International Wine Challenge, with the blind tastings taking place over two days by four leading wine experts.

oneworld's member airlines also received more awards and nominations than members of both other global airline alliances combined, with oneworld carriers collecting eight top trophies, and 36 nominations.

Among the alliance's member airlines British Airways took three top honours, for best consistency of wines across First and Business Class, best First Class fortified wine and best First Class "wild card" wine (not covered by any specific award category). Qantas received two trophies - for most original First Class wine list, best Business Class sparkling wine. American Airlines was judged as offering the overall best First Class wine cellar and Finnair won the title as best Business Class "wild card" wine. Japan Airlines, which will join oneworld on 1 April, received the trophy for best First Class red wine.

Other oneworld member airlines to receive nominations included Cathay Pacific, Iberia and LAN Airlines.

The Cellars in the Sky awards are presented annual to "celebrate the best wines served by airlines in Business and First Class". A record 35 airlines competed for the 2006 trophies, which were presented by renowned wine expert and co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge Charles Metcalfe.

Royal Jordanian joins alliance's Global Explorer round-the-world fare: Royal Jordanian has started participating in the Global Explorer round-the-world fare, which includes all oneworld members and affiliates and selected other airlines which are not part of the alliance. Japan Airlines and Malév, the other two carriers lining up to join oneworld, are already participating in the fare. All the alliance's other fares and sales products will be extended to all three airlines when they start offering the full range of oneworld services and benefits from 1 April.

BA to add UK surf spot Newquay to oneworld network: Newquay, gateway to some of Europe's best surfing beaches, is to join the oneworld network with British Airways linking the UK West Country airport with London Gatwick from 20 March. As the main airport serving Cornwall, Newquay, which has the three-letter IATA code NQY, provides easy access to some of the UK's most popular regions for tourism. The airline will serve the route with Boeing 737s daily.

Member elect RJ to connect future oneworld hubs Amman and Budapest: Member elect Royal Jordanian is to link its Amman hub with the Budapest base of fellow oneworld recruit Malév. It will inaugurate service on the route in June. Both airlines will start offering oneworld services and benefits from 1 April.

oneworld airlines take top honours in Global Traveler awards: oneworld member airlines took seven top places in the latest annual awards from US magazine Global Traveler. British Airways was named Best Airline in the World, to go along with its Airline of the Year titles from the SkyTrax airline quality organization and the World Travel Awards. The UK carrier was also named Global Traveler's Best Airline for Business Class. In the regional awards, American was named Best Airline for Domestic First Class, LAN Best in Central/South America, Finnair Best in Nordic Countries, Qantas Best in South Pacific, and member elect Malév Best in Eastern Europe. The awards were based on a survey of some 13,500 of the magazine's readers.

Finnair adds Mumbai to network as its quadruples its Indian schedule: Mumbai is to join the Finnair network in the latest phase of the airline's Asian expansion strategy, as it quadruples its Indian frequencies to 12 a week. It is also increasing its non-stops to oneworld hub Hong Kong to daily from four a week.

Its new Mumbai flights will start in June, with five non-stops a week from its Helsinki hub. In May, it will raise its existing thrice weekly schedule to Delhi to daily. It joins British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and member elect Royal Jordanian at Mumbai.

The increase in Hong Kong non-stops also takes place in May, when Guangzhou schedules rise too, with a fourth weekly operation.

Iberia launches flights to Algiers, Boston and Bucharest: Iberia is to launch flights to Boston from May, joining American Airlines and British Airways in serving the New England airport. The Spanish airline will operate non-stops to and from its Madrid hub an initial five times a week.

It will be the third oneworld member to serve Bucharest when it launches services between the Romanian capital and Madrid from 3 March with an initial two round trips a week. British Airways and Finnair already serve the city, along with member elect Malév.

Iberia has just launched a link between Madrid and Algiers with an initial two return flights a week, operated by Airbus A319s. Algiers is also already on the oneworld network through services by British Airways.

American to serve Rome throughout the year: American Airlines will up-grade its service between Rome and the USA to year-round from mid April. It flies to the Eternal City from both Chicago O'Hare and New York JFK, using two-class Boeing 767-300s. The airline had previously served these routes during the summer season only. It will offer daily schedules on both routes during the summer, dropping to four a week from Chicago and three a week from New York during the winter.

Qantas to raise San Francisco frequencies: Qantas is to increase frequencies between its Sydney base and San Francisco from three to five a week from late March, a year after resuming services on the route. The additions will replace two of the airline's existing 35 services a week between Australia and Los Angeles. Los Angeles will, however, increase its Los Angeles schedule by two flights a week during the northern hemisphere summer peak.

oneworld in brief: oneworld brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business - American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, LAN, Finnair and Aer Lingus, plus their dozen affiliates. Japan Airlines, Malév and Royal Jordanian will start offering the alliance's services and benefits from 1 April, with Dragonair, LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador also joining as affiliate members during 2007.

The alliance enables its members to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges. oneworld is the only alliance to enable passengers to fly throughout its network, on any combination of carriers, using just electronic tickets. oneworld is the only global alliance with airline members in the Americas south of Mexico and in Australia.

oneworld was voted the World's Leading Airline Alliance for the fourth year running in the 2006 World Travel Awards, based on votes cast by some 170,000 travel professionals, including more than 110,000 travel agents in 200 countries. It is also the only alliance whose members reported collective profits in their latest full year.

Low-cost airline easyJet was today greeting its 20 millionth passenger.

The as-yet-unknown traveller was expected to check in at Gatwick Airport this afternoon and will be given free flights to Marrakech.

The airline's UK market manager Katie Stitson said: "Today marks a great achievement for us.

"Since operations began in 1999, 20m passengers have chosen to fly with easyJet from London Gatwick, more than 5.7m in the past 12 months."

Source: Evening Times

www.Parctel.com: easyJet's Corporate and Social Responsibility Report outlines its strong environmental credentials and includes three “promises” to help balance aviation’s huge social and economic contribution with its impact on climate change.

Andy Harrison, easyJet Chief Executive, said:

“It's hard to see how anybody who has read the recent IPCC report and the Stern Review can deny that global warming is a clear and present danger and that this generation has a responsibility to take action now. Most within the aviation industry recognise that aviation pollutes and that we must improve the environmental efficiency of today’s operations and work on tomorrow’s technologies.

“It is time for a proper debate of the sort that has been largely missing of late. Given that aviation CO2 only accounts for 1.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, grounding every aircraft in the world would have a miniscule impact on climate change yet a vast impact on our economies. So, airlines have a responsibility to do what they can and governments have a responsibility to ensure that their policies incentivise the right behaviour.

“It is for this reason that easyJet has today published its Environmental Code, which contains three promises – that easyJet will be efficient in the air, efficient on the ground and will help shape a greener future for the industry.

“The same business model which gives us low fares (new aircraft, high occupancy rates, direct flights) also gives us environmental efficiency in the skies – easyJet emits 27% fewer greenhouse gasses per passenger kilometre than a traditional airline on an identical route. In addition we recognise that we can and we will expect more of our ground suppliers at airports.

“We also intend to play a leading role in improving the future environmental performance of our industry - reforming Europe’s famously-inefficient air traffic system, implementing a meaningful European emissions trading scheme, working on the next generation of aircraft, giving customers the most comprehensive range of environmental information available for travel to a particular destination, and helping them to offset the carbon emissions of their flight.

“I believe that we are on the cusp of major advances in aircraft and engine technologies which will lead to dramatic reductions in emissions, which have not yet been factored into the environmental forecasts about our industry.

“In the meantime airlines have an obligation to maximise their environmental efficiency (particularly by operating the cleanest available technology). For their part, Governments must ensure their policies balance the vast economic and social benefits of flying with its impact on climate change, particularly by mandating minimum environmental standards for aircraft to operate in Europe.

“Governments should also recognise that some airlines are already more efficient than others – something that the UK’s Air Passenger Duty dramatically fails to do. APD provides no incentive for airlines to operate the cleanest aircraft; it completely omits airfreight and private jets; the proceeds are not allocated to any scheme to improve the environment; and it is disproportionate – on a UK domestic return flight, the £20 APD is now 25% of the average fare and about 10 times the cost of off-setting the carbon emitted on an easyJet flight.

“Surely, it would be better to incentivise consumers to choose airlines, like easyJet, operating the cleanest aircraft available. In fact, last year we removed 22 older aircraft at a cost of over £275 million as part of our drive for efficiency and in the coming four years we will buy 100 brand-new Airbus A319s – surely this substitution is the very definition of the “Green growth” that was foreseen in The Stern Review.”

easyJet’s Environmental Code contains three promises for a greener future. The first promise reflects easyJet’s current environmental credentials; while the second and third outline the full and leading role that easyJet can play to improve the environmental performance of the industry.

1. easyJet strives to be efficient in the air

* Since 2000, easyJet’s CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre has reduced by 18%
* Each of easyJet’s A319s carries 26% more seats than the norm and carries up to 57% more passengers per flight than the European norm meaning that the “typical” European airline operating an Airbus A319 would burn 27% more fuel per passenger
* easyJet only operates direct point-to-point flights, without the wasteful “hubbing” operations associated with other European airlines
* Only 2% of easyJet’s flights could be undertaken by city-centre to city-centre rail journeys in less than four hours. All London to Scotland routes are over four hours - if included, still less than 10% of our flights could be considered in any way substitutable by rail.

2. easyJet strives to be efficient on the ground

* easyJet’s use of local, convenient airports connected to good, transport links means surface journeys are kept to a minimum. While at the airport, easyJet uses airport infrastructure efficiently with short dwell time, minimal use of ground equipment and prefers simple airport infrastructure.

3. easyJet aims to lead the way in shaping a greener future for aviation

* easyJet has long led the way in campaigning for the inclusion of aviation in the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme and on publication of the legislative proposal on 20th December 2006 called for ETS to be brought into “as wide as possible and as soon as possible” – anything else would be gesture politics
* In addition, it is estimated that the implementation of the EU’s Single European Skies programme could lead to a 12% reduction in flying distances by reducing the patchwork of European traffic control centres, which is why easyJet is actively engaged in the programmes to make SES a reality.
* easyJet is actively engaging with airframe and engine manufacturers on the application of new technologies for the next generation of short-haul aircraft.

www.Parctel.com: Following the incident with an Air France Cityjet aircraft at London City airport this morning, normal service has still not resumed.

VLM Airlines is doing its utmost to operate as many flights as possible tonight, but delays and cancellations are to be expected.

If you can postpone your flight to a later date with VLM Airlines, we recommend that you do so.

www.Parctel.com: Today VLM Airlines launches its internet check-in facility for passengers throughout most of its network. At the same time the carrier enhances its website, making online booking even more convenient for the business traveller.

Internet check-in

With the launch of internet check-in, VLM Airlines responds to the growing demand by business travellers for this service tool. Internet check-in will allow VLM Airlines' customers to check-in from the comfort of their own home or office and select the seat of their choice for their next flight. Internet check-in with VLM Airlines can be done from 30 hours to 2 hours prior to departure via the website flyvlm.com. The internet check-in tool will allow customers to print a 2D bar coded boarding pass, allowing them to proceed directly to security and onwards to the gate at the airport of departure.

VLM Airlines currently offers internet check-in on all flights, with the exception of flights departing from Luxembourg, Brussels and Jersey.

Enhanced website flyvlm.com

With the number of online bookings having increased with 34% in 2006 compared to 2005 and two years after the last major website revamp, the website of VLM Airlines has undergone a total overhaul. Not only the look and feel of the website has been renewed, but the online booking engine has received further improvements, making the online booking engine even more transparent and easy to use.
The online booking engine now also provides a wider range of available fare types, allowing the passenger to better choose the most convenient fare type with the appropriate flexibility for changes and cancellations.

Rony Timmermans, Executive Director Finance and Commerce comments: "At VLM Airlines we constantly look at ways to further improve the overall time saving travel experience that we offer to our customers. With the launch of internet check-in and the enhanced online booking tool, we hope to help the busy business travellers to gain extra time when travelling with VLM Airlines and by doing so we can further upgrade their total travel experience with our airline."

www.Parctel.com: Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline, invited Scottish MP Eric Joyce to avail of Ryanair's low fare flights from Glasgow Prestwick to London Stansted, after the publication of MPs' travel expenses revealed that Mr Joyce had clearly been ripped off by British Airways and other high fare airlines. Last year, Mr Joyce spent more than any other MP on travel, using £30,578 of taxpayers' money on high fare flights, when he could and should have flown with Ryanair for a fraction of the cost.

Ryanair's Head of Communications Peter Sherrard said:

"Ryanair not only offers the lowest fares between Glasgow and London, but is also the most punctual airline on the route, so Mr Joyce and indeed all his colleagues at Westminster should conserve taxpayers' money and fly with the UK's favourite airline, Ryanair.

"Flights from Glasgow Prestwick to London Stansted currently start from less than £20, so Mr Joyce should get onto www.ryanair.com immediately, and watch his expense bill plummet."

www.Parctel.com: Flybe, one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines, today announces it is to introduce nine daily return flights on both the Birmingham to Edinburgh route and Birmingham to Glasgow route, which will commence on 25th March.

The low cost service will provide travellers with a constant stream of flights between the Midlands and Scotland’s two biggest cities, and combined with the lowest prices in the marketplace, confirms there is only one choice of travel for business and leisure travellers alike.

Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer, Flybe comments: “With the introduction of this pioneering service we are showing once again why Flybe is the market leader. With nine flights a day between these key business and leisure destinations we’re remaining one step ahead of our competitors.

“We understand our customer’s needs and strive to offer the lowest prices and most reliable service from the regions to ensure that we remain the only choice for UK travel.”

www.Parctel.com: Two million passengers expected in 2007

Andy Harrison, easyJet’s Chief Executive, officially opened easyJet’s 17th base at Madrid’s Barajas airport on 15th February.

The airline expects to carry over two million passengers from Madrid in 2007 on 18 routes - three domestic, thirteen European and two to North Africa.

Four brand new Airbus A319 aircraft will be permanently based at Madrid Airport, the largest airport on the Iberian Peninsula, from February. The initial investment of 170 million Euros will create 150 jobs for pilots ad cabin crew at easyJet.

Spain is one of easyJet’s fastest growing markets. Last year easyJet launched 13 new routes to and from Spain and the airline has already announced a further 13 routes to and from Spain to be opened this year. Currently easyJet offers 79 routes from 12 Spanish airports and Spain now accounts for 29% of the total easyJet route network.

Due to the additional traffic, easyJet’s ground handling partner Swissport-Menzies hired an additional fifty full-time employees, while maintenance provider SR Technics has opened a new Line Maintenance Station at Madrid Airport which initially employs ten people. In addition to new jobs at the airport, easyJet’s two million passengers will help create 2000 jobs in the Madrid area in business and tourism. easyJet’s order of 315 brand-new Airbus aircraft (including options) also safeguards the 2000 jobs at Airbus Spain.

At a press conference in Madrid today, Andy Harrison, Chief Executive of easyJet, said:

“easyJet offers its passengers very low fares – with care and convenience; a combination that no other airline can match. We believe Spanish air passengers have had to put up with high fares and poor service for too long. We aim to change this.

“This year we will carry over nine million passengers from and to Spain, two million of which will fly through our base in Madrid.

“easyJet brings four million tourists to Spain every year – more than any other low fares airline. These four million tourists spend € 3.3 billion in Spain.

“Millions of customers have recognised the unique benefits of flying with easyJet, so it’s no wonder that we carry about 20% more passengers than Spain’s national airline Iberia.”

In 2006, 8.4 million passengers flew with easyJet on routes to and from Spain – a 15% increase compared to 2005, when the airline carried 7.3 million passengers in Spain. This year, easyJet expects to carry over nine million passengers, which would constitute a further growth of around 15%.

Last year easyJet carried about 33.5 million passengers, compared to 28 million on Iberia – making easyJet 20% bigger than Spain’s national airline.

www.Parctel.com: Aer Lingus is to reduce long haul fuel surcharges by 25% on all tickets booked for flights to and from the US and the Middle East from midnight tonight. The fuel surcharge reduction represents a decrease of €10/US$15 each way and comes as a result of decreasing international oil prices.

Dermot Mannion, Aer Lingus Chief Executive, said, "This is good news for Aer Lingus customers. When the fuel surcharge was first introduced last May, we assured customers that it would be kept under active review as part of Aer Lingus' continued commitment to its low fares strategy . We are pleased to honour that commitment now that oil prices have fallen"

To reduce its exposure to fluctuations in the oil price, the Airline has a policy of hedging a portion of its projected aviation fuel requirements. The Airline currently has hedges in place for approximately 55% of its estimated remaining 2007 fuel requirements at prices ranging from USD58 - 72 per barrel. Aer Lingus will continue to monitor the cost of fuel prices into the future and will revisit its approach to surcharges should the cost of fuel decrease further.

The fuel surcharge reduction will only apply to new bookings for long haul travel made after midnight on Monday 12th February 2007. The reduction will not apply to bookings for long haul travel made and paid for prior to midnight on the 12th February 2007.

www.Parctel.com: To celebrate its forthcoming membership of the oneworld® alliance from 1 April 2007, JAL is giving customers worldwide the chance to win one of 60 pairs of Global Explorer round-the-world tickets in the 'JAL Joins oneworld Prize Contest'.

JAL, together with Malév Hungarian Airlines and Royal Jordanian Airlines will start offering oneworld services and benefits from 1 April 2007 in the biggest expansion of the alliance since its launch eight years ago. Five other members of the JAL Group will join oneworld, the world's leading multilateral airline alliance, alongside JAL on the same day, as affiliates - JALways, Japan Asia Airways, JAL Express, J-AIR and Japan Transocean Air.

As a member of oneworld, JAL will be able further to strengthen the quality of its products and services, providing customers with greater convenience, comfort, value and choice throughout the alliance's comprehensive network which serves some 700 destinations in nearly 150 countries worldwide.

To enter the 'JAL Joins oneworld Prize Contest' and for the opportunity to win a pair of economy class Global Explorer round-the -world tickets, simply go to www.jaloneworld.com/en/ between now and 30 April 2007 (23:59 Japan standard time), and answer five multiple-choice questions on JAL and oneworld.

The names of 60 contestants who have correctly answered all questions will be randomly selected as winners of the tickets. (Rules and conditions apply).

With a Global Explorer ticket, winners can travel around the world on oneworld's network and that of other participating carriers including the alliance's new recruits JAL, Malév and Royal Jordanian. They can choose to go on up to a year-long journey around the world, stopping in a maximum of 15 destinations.

A round-the-world itinerary could include relaxing on a beautiful beach in a South Pacific island, or enjoying the fantastic sights and sounds of Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia.

Providing simple, flexible, and affordable round-the-world travel, 'Global Explorer' fares are just one of oneworld's range of innovative products. JAL started offering Global Explorer fares on 1 April 2006. The airline will start participating in the alliance's full range of fares and sales products from 1 April 2007.

The oneworld alliance enables its member airlines to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. These include a broader route network, opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and points across the combined oneworld network and more airport lounges.

From 1 April 2007, the members of oneworld will comprise JAL, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, LAN Airlines, Malév Hungarian Airlines, Qantas and Royal Jordanian Airlines, plus their affiliates.

www.Parctel.com: Additional frequencies, more seats and new non-stop flights are highlights of an expanded Loganair schedule this summer.

Western Isles

British Airways franchise partner Loganair will be operating the largest ever programme of direct flights to the Western Isles, with up to 22 flights a day, including an increase to double daily non-stop service to Edinburgh from Stornoway.

Conveniently timed flights depart Edinburgh at 0700 and 1750, with return flights departing Stornoway at 0840 and 1930, enabling a full day's business for customers in both directions. Services to Glasgow will operate four times daily on weekdays, with up to four return services on Saturdays and two on a Sunday..

An improved schedule is introduced on flights between Inverness and Stornoway, with flights departing Stornoway at 0850, 1300 and 1800. Departures from Inverness are at 0740, 1150 and 1650 giving more choice and flexibility of timings.

Improved timings are introduced on Benbecula to Glasgow, with 24 flights per week including an earlier morning departure in both directions and two return flights every weekday.

Caithness

More seats are being added on the Edinburgh to Wick service, with a dedicated flight doubling the number of seats available for Caithness passengers. Departure from Edinburgh is at 1130 arriving in Wick at 1235, with the return service leaving Wick at 1300 and arriving in Edinburgh at 1405, increasing the number of connecting opportunities available to other destinations.

The current 6 times weekly service from Wick to Orkney will cease at the end of the winter timetable.

Orkney

Direct daily flights to Edinburgh and Glasgow, 4 flights daily to Aberdeen and conveniently timed double daily services to Inverness and Shetland make this a bumper summer schedule for Orkney customers.

Shetland

Capacity on the key Aberdeen route will be increased by 12% this summer with up to 6 return flights on weekdays, plus a fourth service added on Saturdays during the peak season following strong demand in 2006.

Non-stop flights will serve both Edinburgh and Glasgow seven days a week and twice daily flights link Shetland with Orkney and Inverness.

Islay, Barra, Tiree and Campbeltown

Up to 3 flights a day to and from Islay give even more reasons to visit this enchanting Island, whether to sample the delights of its famous whisky distilleries or perhaps for a round of golf.

Additional seats will be available during the peak holiday season on the popular routes to Barra, Campbeltown and Tiree; all served direct from Glasgow.

Isle of Man and City of Derry

Daily flights to Isle of Man from Edinburgh and Glasgow will operate year round for the first time, with extra flights to Glasgow during the peak summer season.

The popular link to Derry from Glasgow will be flown daily during the summer.

Jim Cameron, Chief Executive of Loganair said, "We are delighted to offer our largest ever schedule and network of flights within Scotland. The successful introduction of the Air Discount Scheme, new one-way fares and more direct flights is great news for our customers. There has never been a better time for visitors to sample the delights of the Scottish Highlands and Islands or for island residents to take to the air".

www.Parctel.com: Eastern Airways is set to increase capacity on its services from Aberdeen to Stornoway and Wick this month with the introduction of a Jetstream 41 aircraft on both routes.

The additional capacity will allow more Caithness and Western Isles based travellers to take advantage of the Air Discount Scheme (ADS), enabling customers to receive a 40% saving on normal tariffs. To assist in the promotion of this initiative, the company will be adorning a number of its twenty-five Jetstream 41’s with the ADS logo, encouraging passengers to book online.

The larger 29-seater Jetstream 41 will replace the current Jetstream 32 on both routes from Monday 12 February, just a month after the Aberdeen – Stornoway service celebrated its first anniversary.

The Aberdeen – Wick service was launched in 2001 and since introduction of both, the routes have been well utilised by both business and leisure travellers, with many people taking advantage of the excellent selection of onward destinations provided by Eastern Airways from Aberdeen.

Graeme Ross, Scotland director for Eastern Airways, said: “Increasing capacity on both of these routes was a real priority for the company and it helps to cement them into the transport infrastructure of the regions.
“By increasing capacity and enhancing the services due to the popularity of these routes, we are demonstrating a firm commitment to the regions.”

Alasdair Morrison, MSP, added: “I am very pleased that Eastern Airways is increasing capacity on the Stornoway - Aberdeen route. This proves that the first year on this route has been a success. The introduction of cheaper flights for islanders using the Air Discount Scheme has helped consolidate the service, and encouraged Eastern Airways to use a larger aircraft. Eastern Airways enjoys a reputation for competence and reliability – they are a welcome addition to the air companies serving the Western Isles”.

Inglis Lyon, managing director of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, commented: “This is excellent news for both Caithness and the Western Isles with extra capacity offering more people the opportunity to travel. This demonstrates a firm commitment by Eastern Airways to the region and that the ADS is continuing to stimulate the market to respond to passenger demand.”

Eastern Airways operates three flights each weekday between Aberdeen and Wick and daily Monday to Friday between Aberdeen and Stornoway.

www.parctel.com: Ashes-winning captain Ricky Ponting is all set to lead his Emirates-sponsored Australian Cricket squad in defence of the ICC Cricket World Cup in four weeks' time. The players that will join Ponting in their bid for a third successive World Cup victory were announced by Cricket Australia in Adelaide on Tuesday.

Emirates, the Dubai-based multi-award winning airline, recently announced a AUD500,000 sponsorship of the defending champions; underlying Emirates’ commitment to Australia.

Ponting, who is currently the world’s top-rated batsman, has led Australia to 27 wins from 35 matches during his captaincy career so far.

The West Indies plays host to the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup with play in the first match getting underway on 13th March. Australia’s defence will begin on 14th March when they face Scotland in St Kitts.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group said: “The sponsorship of the Australian cricket team further enhances our association with Australia; and also with major international sporting events.

“Emirates has a long and successful partnership with the Australian team and we were with them when they won the Cricket World Cup in 1999. We wish them the best of luck in retaining the World Cup and the title of the best cricket team in the world.”

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are very pleased that Emirates will be the team’s sponsor for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

“In a sport that values omens more than most; it’s worth pointing out that Emirates was also the sponsor of Australia’s victorious 1999 World Cup team, so hopefully its involvement in 2007 will see the same result.”

The Emirates sponsorship of Australia’s World Cup team will see Emirates branding appear on the team uniform and training apparel while in the West Indies.

Emirates will also be the naming rights sponsor of the Celebration of Australian One-Day International Cricket event and ICC World Cup departure celebration on 27th February at Luna Park in Sydney.

The gala event will reunite all players who have represented Australia in limited-overs cricket as well as announcing the greatest Australian One-Day International team of all-time.

Australia’s 1987 World Cup winning squad will also be honoured with a retrospective presentation of World Cup Champions rings of the type presented to the 1999 and 2003 World Cup winners.

Emirates has always had a strong affiliation with cricket and in addition to their sponsorship of the Australian Cricket World Cup team, it also sponsors the ICC Umpires and is the Official Airline to Cricket Australia.

Emirates has an impressive sports sponsorship portfolio which includes; Official Airline of the 2007 Rugby World Cup along with sponsorship of the IRB referees and match officials. Emirates is the title sponsor of four tournaments in the IRB Sevens World Series: Dubai, South Africa, London and Edinburgh, and the shirt sponsors of the England and Samoa sevens teams. In Australia, Emirates sponsors the Emirates Western Force.

Emirates is heavily involved in football as an Official Partner of FIFA World Cup and sponsor of Arsenal Football Club, Paris St Germain and Hamburg Football Club; along with the naming rights of Arsenal’s home ground – the Emirates Stadium.

Emirates’ other sports include: sailing, as the title sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand and their America’s Cup bid, in golf, Emirates is Official Airline to nine major tournaments around the world. Emirates is the title sponsor of the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup; the Emirates Melbourne Cup; two races at the Breeders’ Cup World Championship in America and the Emirates Singapore Derby.

CityJet for Air France, is first and foremost the largest network out of London City airport with close to 70 daily flights, mainly operated with Avro RJ 85 aircraft seating 95 passengers.

Starting on 26 March 2007, CityJet for Air France will be offering 10 routes out of London City including eight new ones:
- Geneva
- Madrid
- Milan Linate
- Nice
- Zurich
And in cooperation with ScotAirways:
- Belfast Harbour Airport
- Dundee
- Edinburgh

These routes will be in addition to existing Air France services operated by CityJet out of London City: Paris-Orly (6 daily flights ) and Dublin (5 daily flights).

CityJet for Air France, is also an exclusive product with a very short check-in time of 10 minutes (at London City Airport) and a wide-range of e-services in a small but very convenient airport which makes travel easy for customers.

" CityJet for Air France is an important milestone. We are pleased to underline our commitment to London City where we have had a presence for many years while simultaneously pursuing our development with our revamped fleet ", said Geoffrey O'Byrne White, CityJet CEO.
Etienne Rachou, Air France Senior Vice President Europe & North Africa added : "We are providing our business clientele with a hitherto unknown service, access to a network straight from the heart of London with all the benefits and services the Air France Group has to offer. In this way we are strengthening our position as leader in this market".

The body of the South African stowaway found dead on a British Airways (BA) aircraft would be returned home free of charge, the department of foreign affairs said today. Ronnie Mamoepa, the spokesperson, said the body of Samuel Peter Benjamin (17) would be flown home tomorrow.

"This follows interaction between South African foreign affairs and British Airways in which BA agreed to bring the mortal remains of the deceased back home, free of charge.

"In this regard the government wishes to express its gratitude to BA for the humanitarian gesture extended to the family." Benjamin's body was found on 29 January in the right wheel well of the 747-400 aircraft at Los Angeles Airport in a routine inspection on arrival from London's Heathrow Airport.

He reportedly boarded a plane from Cape Town a week earlier. Benjamin was identified from a South African identity document found in his possession.

Souce: SABC

As national carrier South African Airways (SAA) prepares to acquire a new fleet to expand its route network, aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus are jostling behind the scenes to win the lucrative contract.

Although SAA is experiencing some serious financial difficulties, it remains the most prominent and most recognised airline on the continent, according to analysts.

Since SAA CEO Khaya Ngqula took over about two years ago, both Airbus and Boeing have acknowledged that they had been keeping close contact with SAA in a bid to analyse its routes and understand its fleet needs.

Boeing senior vice-president for sales in the Middle East and Africa, Lee Monson, said yesterday that the US-based company had had continuing talks with SAA for about 18 months.

The latest meeting was at the end of last month, when SAA briefed them about government’s proposal to recapitalise the airline.

SAA, which had recently been separated from its parent company Transnet, said it would need at least R4bn to allow it to stand on its own.

Ngqula said last year that SAA would need at least nine new wide-bodied aircraft for its new and existing long-haul routes.

Monson said Boeing could meet SAA’s fleet requirements within two to three years. SAA could either buy outright or lease the planes.

He said Boeing’s 777s and 767s could meet SAA’s need to fly directly to places such as Munich.

The 250-seater 787-8 model, which would be launched in 2008, could also be used to replace the ageing 747s that SAA uses on the London route.

“I see SAA operating smaller airplanes to Europe (in future),” said Monson.

Not all people flying to Heathrow had London as their final destination. Most of them connected to regional destinations within Europe, he said.

Smaller aircraft could also enable the airline to offer day and night flights to Europe.

Airbus has also been pushing hard to sell its twin-engined A350 and the 555-seater A380. The A380 would be ideal for Heathrow Airport, where SAA has been struggling for years to get additional slots.

Growing passenger numbers globally have resulted in a sharp rise of both Boeing’s and Airbus’ order books.

Boeing has more than 450 orders for its new 787-8.

With passenger numbers growing at an average rate of 5% a year globally, airlines are expected to spent more than $2,6-trillion over the next 20 years to acquire new aeroplanes.

Airports are expected to come under severe strain if no proper planning is done now to accommodate the expected growth.

A study released last month by the Geneva-based Airports Council International (ACI) said delays in expanding airport infrastructure would result in heavy congestion and a general deterioration in the quality of service at airports.

The ACI, of which Airports Company SA (Acsa) is a member, represents 573 major airport operators managing more than 1600 airports in 178 countries.

“This is a warning flag that must not be ignored,” said ACI director-general Robert J Aaronson. “Although ACI members built new capacity at a record rate in 2004, spending over $31bn, those efforts are simply not enough.”

Air travel in Africa was projected to increase 8,6% this year, 7,5% next year and 7,3% in 2009.

Acsa said it had already started making preparations to expand its airport infrastructure at a cost of R5,2bn. All 10 Acsa airports are undergoing major upgrading to enable them to carry a total of 40-million passengers a year from 2010.

Source: Business Day

VLM Airlines, the carrier which offers the largest number of flights from London City Airport, will introduce an additional return service to Manchester from 1st March, 2007, bringing the total of return flights to nine each weekday.

At the same time, the carrier is optimising its schedule to offer a greater number of departures at peak times, allowing business travellers more flexibility when planning their meetings in either city.

VLM Airlines introduced its London City to Manchester service in September 2002. Despite intense competition from other airlines and rail services too, passenger numbers have grown each year since 2002. The route has become an established and popular link for business people travelling between Manchester and Central London, with over 113,000 travellers choosing to use the fast and convenient service in 2006.

Johan Vanneste, Managing Director VLM Airlines says, "Despite the fierce competition on this route, VLM Airlines has achieved a great deal of recognition amongst the business community and extra demand has brought us to the decision to introduce an extra return flight."

He adds: "We are very much aware of what the business community requires from a regional airline and will remain committed to offering a quality and time-saving product."

With around 80 per cent of its passengers travelling for business purposes, VLM Airlines' priority is to offer fast, frequent services. With the introduction of the Docklands Light Railway link to London City Airport in December 2005, travel to the centre of London has been both quickened and simplified, and allows VLM Airlines' passengers to arrive in the centre of London just 1 hour and 20 minutes after their departure from Manchester.

VLM Airlines has a fleet of 14 Fokker 50 aircraft offering an excellent combination of comfort and reliability.

This new service is the latest in a series of developments at Manchester. In October 2006, VLM Airlines introduced a double-daily non-stop service to Antwerp and, on 26th February, will introduce a twice daily non-stop service to Rotterdam.

In addition to nine return flights from Manchester to London City each weekday, passengers travelling with VLM Airlines can also make quick and convenient connections at the London airport to the carrier's services to Luxembourg, Amsterdam and Brussels.

Kenya Airways is holding an international pitch to redesign its plane interiors, airport lounges and staff uniforms.

Honour Aviation is one of the UK consultancies pitching, according to a spokeswoman for the airline. The list includes two further UK consultancies and a number of international design groups, including one in Japan, she adds, but was unable to provide more details.

Kenya Airways marketing director Michael Akwiri is in London this week to meet with the groups still in the pitch. It is understood that the original pitch included eight consultancies and that the airline was requesting substantial free creative work from the groups.

Honour Aviation is a specialist division of Honour Branding, a consultancy formed by Gerrie Smith, a former global aviation director at FutureBrand. The division was created when the former head of design management for British Airways Mike Crump joined the group last year. Kenya Airways has two lounges at London Heathrow Airport, in Terminal 2 and Terminal 4. The design project will look at the interiors of all these areas.

British Airways have been forced into a climbdown over new baggage charges, telling staff to exercise discretion over the fees. Check-in staff at airports across the UAE were told to be “sympathetic” after the first day of the new system caused widespread confusion among passengers.

From yesterday, BA customers were due to be charged up to dhs1,730 extra to take more than a single piece of hold luggage on return flights from the UAE. But the airline has stated any passenger having “obvious” problems with the new system would be exempted. Last night news of the decision, expected to remain until the policy is officially launched in September, was greeted with relief by airline passengers in the UAE.

Adbul Majid, travelling to Heathrow Airport from Dubai International Airport, said: “It’s good for the airlines if they relax the rules because no-one will ever pay this when there are many other good airlines with no hassle. These new changes were too much for any passenger.”

Debbie Carter, taking an Emirates flight to Heathrow agreed, adding: “I’ve heard about the new system and am glad I’m not flying with the airline. But my friend is due to fly with BA this week and she was wondering how to fit all her luggage into one bag. She will definitely be glad to hear that they have relaxed the rule.”

British expat Christopher Johnson told 7DAYS: “I know people who are taking BA flights with just one bag after hearing about the new rules. They will now be really disappointed they didn’t carry more baggage on their flights.” The new rules state customers should only check-in one bag, with a maximum weight of 32kg, in the hold. This limit will reduce to a maximum of 23kg from September.

A BA spokesman said: “We have no intention of discriminating against passengers who cannot comfortably carry one bag. Where it is clear a passenger cannot manage one bag we will let them check-in an additional bag provided the total weight is within the limit.” The spokesman added BA staff would be sympathetic to passenger requests to check-in more than one item of luggage, provided the overall weight was below the new 23kg limit being introduced later this year.

Source: 7Days

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Airways on Tuesday introduced extra charges for excess baggage but told check-in staff to apply them "leniently" amid passenger confusion over the new rules.

From Tuesday, passengers checking in an extra bag on a one-way long-haul flight must pay a charge of $235 ($120). Short-haul travelers will face a $118 (£60) per bag fee, while those taking UK domestic flights will have to fork out $90 (£42) for each additional case.

BA said the new policy was causing "uncertainty" but said it had always planned to operate a grace period until September, the UK's Press Association reported.

"We will introduce it sympathetically," said a spokesman.

"We have always said that the policy would be introduced now but fully brought in later, in September. That remains the case. Check-in staff have been advised to apply the policy leniently."

From September travelers will be charged an extra $58 (£30) each way on domestic routes, $116 (£60) on European flights and $232 (£120) each way on some long-haul routes if their checked-in luggage -- in one bag -- is over 23kg.

But passengers at London's Heathrow Airport told the Evening Standard newspaper they were baffled by the new rules. Many claimed they had not been warned of the charges when they bought their tickets.

"I thought we only had to have one piece of luggage, now they're saying we can have two. It would be good to have a bit more clarity," said Amal Farhan.

"Every time they told me something different. One lady told me that we were only allowed 23kg but to help introduce the new restrictions they would allow 32kg as a maximum. But then I called again and was told there was no extra allowance. Now my sister has two bags and is just hoping it will be okay."

BA's changes follow similar steps taken by budget airlines. Last year Ryanair introduced charges for check-in luggage to cut costs and speed up the check-in process.

As Europe's third largest carrier, BA has claimed that the new luggage rules are part of a simpler policy to fit in with its vision for "the best airport experience" when the carrier moves to Heathrow's new Terminal 5 next year.

Source: CNN

Negative publicity over safety issues has failed to adversely affect Ryanair in the eyes of investors as its share price closed in Dublin at €12.19, an 8.6% rise for the week. The company also announced on Monday last that its pre-tax profits for the final quarter of 2006 had risen by 30% to €48m.

On Wednesday, the London Times published details of a memo sent from Ryanair management to its pilots threatening to sack them after the airline was taken to task over a series of dangerous approaches to airports over the past two years. During this time, the airline has experienced four incidents in which planes have made high-speed approaches or come in at the wrong height. The most recent incident involved a flight from Stansted to Cork on June 4 last year, when a pilot ignored the advice of a less experienced colleague to abort an attempted landing and perform a "go-around" when the plane was too high to make a safe landing. The captain instead decided to bank the plane in a tight circle to lose height and make a quick landing, prompting 16 homeowners to complain about the flight's proximity to their rooftops.

Air accident investigators also examined incidents at Knock Airport in 2006, Skavsta Airport and Rome Fiumicino, both occurring in 2005. The Irish Times also published details of four Ryanair jets that landed at Stansted Airport on April 24 last in heavy fog which should have diverted because of low visibility.

Under new rules, the airline's 1,600 pilots were warned that they will be demoted the first time they make a dangerous approach and fired for a second such offence.

In response to union claims that morale among Ryanair pilots is an all-time low, Ryanair chief, Michael O'Leary said that if they felt conditions were so bad then there were free to seek employment at other airlines; "they could even join Aer Lingus", he said.

The British Airline Pilots' Association were critical of the memo's contents saying the pressure endured by pilots working for low-cost airlines to adhere to 25-minute turnaround times at airports could result in a "lethal cocktail" of pressure for crew members. Irish Times sources said Ryanair pilots complain of being bullied by management and contradicted the pay rates asserted by the company.

Source: Emigrant Online