Friday's Route Development Briefs
Air France to Fly A380 to Los Angeles
Air France is to introduce an Airbus A380 on its route from Paris CDG to Los Angeles in May 2012 but is reducing frequency on the route in preparation for the arrival of the aircraft, according to its latest GDS inventory. The French national carrier will start to use the Super Jumbo on a daily basis from May 28, 2012 but will reduce weekly frequencies on the route from 20 to 15 a week from March 25, 2012 to cater for the larger capacity airliner. Air France currently utilises Boeing 777-300ERs on its flights between Paris CDG and Los Angeles and will continue to use the type on its other eight weekly rotations. An estimated 371,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route in the past year, up 5.0 per cent on the previous 12 months. Air Tahiti Nui also provides a three times weekly service between the two destinations, while Alitalia and Delta Air Lines offer a codeshare option on Air France’s flights.
EU and Sri Lanka Ink Deal to Boost Air Transport
The European Commission and Sri Lanka have signed an aviation agreement which will restore a sound legal basis for developing future aviation relations between Sri Lanka and EU Member States. The so-called "horizontal agreement" will place several provisions in bilateral air services agreements between 15 EU Member States and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on a sound legal footing by ensuring compliance with EU legislation. Most importantly, it will remove nationality restrictions in bilateral air services agreements between EU Member States and Sri Lanka. It will thereby allow any EU airline to operate flights between Sri Lanka and any EU Member State in which it is established, where a bilateral agreement between the EU Member State concerned and Sri Lanka already exists and traffic rights are available. The agreement represents an important step towards strengthening aviation relations and enhancing the overall cooperation with Sri Lanka, while encouraging traffic between the EU and Sri Lanka. Air transport is crucial for relations between the EU and Sri Lanka, linking people, cultures and businesses. Today, there are direct flights between Sri Lanka and six EU Member States (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and the UK). In 2010, the total number of air passengers travelling between the EU and Sri Lanka increased by eleven per cent to 380,000 passengers.
Avianca Confirms New La Paz Connection for US Passengers
Colombian national carrier Avianca has confirmed it will introduce flights from its primary base at El Dorado International Airport in the country’s capital Bogotá to La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia; its first link into the country. It will offer a five times weekly service from November 16 as an extension of its existing flight from Washington DC, providing an alternative travel option for the large Bolivian community resident in the US city. The airline will utilise an Airbus A319 on the service configured for 120 passengers - 12 in Clase Ejecutiva (Business Class) and 108 in economy. There are currently no direct air services from Washington to La Paz.
Air Koryo Set to Offer Charter Link to Berlin
North Korean carrier Air Koryo is set to offer a series of four weekly charter flights between Pyongyang and the German capital Berlin as part of a tourism package for a Swedish tour operator. The airline is set to operate a two-class Tupolev Tu-204 with 12 Business Class and 164 Economy seats on the route on April 12, April 19, April 26 and May 3, subject to final confirmation. The airline will serve Schonefeld Airport in the German city.
American Airlines and Air Pacific Sign Codeshare Agreement
American Airlines and Fiji-based Air Pacific have signed a new codeshare agreement that will give American's customers more travel options throughout the South Pacific and Air Pacific customers easier access to major business centers in the US. Pending US government approval, expected within the next 30 to 60 days, American will place its code on Air Pacific flights in the following markets: Los Angeles-Nadi, Honolulu-Nadi, and Nadi-Suva while Air Pacific will place its code on nearly 20 new destinations to cities flown from American's Los Angeles cornerstone hub.
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