Friday's Route Development Briefs
Wizz Air Boosts Capacity at Timisoara
Central and Eastern European low-cost specialist Wizz Air has revealed plans to expand its activities in the Romanian city of Timisoara. The budget carrier is to increase capacity on a number of its routes during summer 2012 boosting capacity by around 20 per cent and increase annual passenger traffic to over 400,000. The expansion will see additional flights to Dortmund from March 27, 2012 and more rotations to Forli, London Luton, Paris Beauvais and Rome Fiumicino from June 23, 2012. “This latest expansion is a further proof of our commitment to the Romanian market and specifically to the Banat region and is welcome news to the people living in Timis and the surrounding counties,” said John Stephenson, Executive Vice President of Wizz Air. “The resulting increases in air traffic will also have a further positive effect on the local businesses and employment.”
AirAsia Plans Premium Operation under Caterham Jet Brand
AirAsia is set to further broaden its business through the launch of a new ‘premium’ airline which will potentially launch flights on regional routes in Southeast Asia. The carrier, thought to be named Caterham Jet, is expected to be based at Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, or Subang as it has become better known, the former gateway to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Aircraft operations at Subang are restricted by noise regulations and are limited to turboprop or small regional jet operations. According to a report in respected industry journal Aviation Week, Caterham Jet will be established as a business aviation company providing scheduled air taxi services with a fleet of ten Bombardier CRJ200s and this will enable it to get around the current legislation. It is expected to serve major regional destinations such as Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore and will be headed, according to the article by Peter Leiman, the man behind the European air taxi operator, Blink.
Lufthansa Makes London Schedule Changes
German national carrier Lufthansa is to take over full responsibility for the Berlin Tegel – London Heathrow service currently flown by bmi British Midland International, although the route will still be flown this winter using a bmi aircraft. The subtle change to the route is certain to be a result of the expected sale of Lufthansa’s UK unit to International Consolidated Airlines group (IAG), the parent company of European rivals British Airways and Iberia. With effect from November 24, Lufthansa will take responsibility as the operating carrier on the Berlin Tegel – London Heathrow route, rather than simply codesharing on the bmi service. However, due to capacity constraints bmi will continue to fly the route using an Airbus 319 until the end of the Northern Winter schedule in March 2012. Similarly, Swiss International Air Line, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa, has taken over responsibility of the six times weekly Basel – Manchester that was previously flown by bmi. Lufthansa also plans to make a minor change to its new Frankfurt – London Gatwick service and from March 25, 2012 will replace the Boeing 737 that operates the twice daily service with a Bombardier CRJ700 on the morning rotation and an A319 on the evening flight.
Welsh Minister Pushes for Chinese Connection for Cardiff
Wales’ First Minister Carwyn Jones has this week revealed very ambitious plans to establish a direct air route into the country from China. Following a Welsh Government trade mission to the fast-growing economy in October, Mr Jones said such a link was “vital” in order to maximise Chinese investment opportunities into Wales, while also supporting indigenous businesses seeking to grow exports. According to a local newspaper report discussions are at a very early stage and there are suggestions that a service could be established without the need for Welsh Government subsidy. The report also suggests that a number of airlines are already in discussions with the Welsh Government for financial support for new air services with Delta Air Lines, Emirates Airline and Kingfisher Airlines all named in the story. “It is important we create trade opportunities through links between Wales and western China,” said Mr Jones after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese city of Chongqing, committing Wales and the region to work more closely in areas such as trade and education. “However, it has got to be relatively easy to be able to travel between western China and Wales and making sure that happens is a key priority for us. There are currently no direct links at all between Chongqing and the UK. It is at an early stage, but we are moving forward on this. People might say that is very ambitious, but why not?” he added.
Etihad and Malaysia Airlines Develop Frequent Flyer Partnership
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has confirmed a reciprocal Frequent Flyer agreement with codeshare partner Malaysia Airlines. Under the terms of the arrangement Etihad Guest programme members can now earn Etihad Guest Miles when flying on Malaysia Airlines, while members of Enrich, Malaysia Airlines’ loyalty and frequent flyer programme, can also earn Enrich Miles on Etihad Airways’ flights. “We are delighted to take our successful partnership with Malaysia Airlines to the next level by extending it with a close frequent flyer cooperation,” said Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Airways. “This offers both airlines’ loyal customers the opportunity to earn and burn miles on each other’s network.”
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