COMAIR INAUGURATES BA FLIGHTS FROM LANSERIA
South African carrier Comair has today (September 1) inaugurated flights under the British Airways brand from Lanseria International airport to Maputo, Mozambique and Gaborone, Botswana. The routes are being flown by a 48-seat ATR 42-500 on lease from Solenta Aviation and represent the first time BA branded flights have been offered from the airport, near to Johannesburg. They were originally due to be launched from May 1 but some contract issues between the airline and airport delayed their introduction. “The new routes from Lanseria are a great option for consumers that live in the north and add enormous value to customers travelling on these routes by allowing them to complete a full day’s work in the countries and return on the same day without having to incur accommodation expenses,” said Stuart Cochrane, Executive Manager for Network Development and Alliances at Comair. Both routes will be operated on a daily basis every weekday and up to double daily on certain days of the week. Initially there will be eight weekly flights to Maputo and seven to Gaborone although further flights are expected to be added before the end of the year. “As part of our broader network development strategy we have been exploring the idea of a regional hub at Lanseria airport as part of our expansion plans into Africa for some time. We are confident that the implementation of this first phase of expansion will be well received by our customers and provide them with an alternative to current regional flights operating from OR Tambo International Airport,” Cochrane added.
ARIK AIR INCREASES DOMESTIC NETWORK
Nigeria’s Arik Air is to launch flights to the new Asaba International Airport this week, its 20th destination within the country. The airline has confirmed that it will offer direct flights from both Abuja and Lagos from September 2 using a 72-seat Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprop with capacity for ten Business Class passengers and 62 Economy travellers. “The new services to Asaba International Airport will offer a highly attractive alternative to passengers using the existing flights to Osubi Airstrip, Warri. Arik Air appreciates the importance of Delta State in Nigeria's industrial and economic development as an oil producing state,” said Chris Ndulue, Managing Director, Arik Air. The airport, in the south of the country, was opened just last month with the first commercial passenger flight taking place on July 18. The city of Asaba, the capital of oil rich Delta State of Nigeria, is strategically located on a hill at the western edge of the River Niger and was once the colonial capital of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate.
ETHIOPIAN AND ASIANA LAUNCH INTERCONTINENTAL CODESHARE
Ethiopian Airlines and Asiana Airlines have entered into a codeshare agreement enhancing air connectivity between Africa and Asia. Under the terms of the agreement, which came into operation on August 29, Ethiopian has put its code on the South Korean carrier’s flights between Seoul Incheon and Hong Kong, while the Asian carrier’s code is appearing on Ethiopian’s four times weekly flights between Addis Ababa and Hong Kong. “We are delighted to partner with Asiana Airlines, one of the main players in Asia, and the agreement will support our commitment towards improving the travel experience of our passengers,” said Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Officer, Ethiopian Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines has formalised a number of new codeshare and interline partnerships to expand its network reach across the globe and create shorter transit options for travellers with its international partners. This particular arrangement will help support the growing demand between Ethiopia and South Korea. In the past year an estimated 3,300 O&D passengers travelled between the two countries, the majority connecting via Dubai International on the flights of Emirates Airline.
AIRLINK TO RESUME PORT ELIZABETH – BLOEMFONTEIN CONNECTION
South African regional carrier Airlink, which operates as a franchise partner of South African Airways (SAA), is to resume domestic flights between Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein. The service will initially be operated twice every week from September 5 using a 29-seat BAe Jetstream 41. The resumption of the flight is in response to increasing demand for direct links between the two cities. Since Airlink stopped flying the route at the start of 2010 no other carrier has entered the market but still around 4,000 O&D passengers are travelling every year between the two cities using connecting services. In its last full year of operation (2009), Airlink carried an estimated 10,000 O&D passengers and on its return to the market would expect to stimulate the core demand to similar levels.
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