News From The Americas

SST AIR TO OFFER SEASONAL LINKS TO BRAZIL

Orlando-based SST Air is to launch the first direct flights between Orlando Sanford International Airport and the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo and Brasilia later this month. The seasonal services will operate from June 30 through to August 1 and will flown by a 232-seat Boeing 767 of Vision Airlines. “Our passenger base has long awaited the return of flights to South America from Sanford, and we anticipate a tremendous amount of local interest in SST’s outbound flights to Brazil,” said Larry Dale, President, Orlando Sanford International Airport.


AVIANCA ADDS SECOND DAILY CALI – TUMACO ROTATION

Colombian carrier Avianca has introduced a second daily flight on its domestic link between Cali and Tumaco. There has been a large increase in passenger demand on the route over the past year as Cali, the country’s second largest city, has witnessed its own growth – the western city, the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, is one of the fastest growing economies and infrastructure within Colombia. Avianca currently competes with SATENA on the route; the latter operating a five times weekly service using a Dornier 328 turboprop. An estimated 31,000 O&D passengers travelled between the two cities in the past year, with the two airlines carrying a similar level of traffic. The introduction of a second daily flight will enable better options to business travellers planning visits to Cali and onward to Bogota and more flexibility for those travelling to the port city of Tumaco, in southwestern of Colombia, near to the border with Ecuador.


CONTINENTAL AIRLINES CUTS TRANSATLANTIC CAPACITY

Continental Airlines is to reduce capacity on a number of its transatlantic routes this winter, reducing frequencies and introducing smaller aircraft when compared to its schedule last year. According to the latest GDS data seven route will see a reduction it available capacity, although interestingly its service from Newark Liberty International Airport to Geneva will be upgraded to a Boeing 777-200ER from February 3, 2012. Frequency reduction are planned for flights from Newark to Barcelona, Glasgow and Madrid (from a daily schedule to six flights per week), as well as Copenhagen and Stockholm (down from daily to five flights per week). Meanwhile, Boeing 767-200ERs will replace larger 767-400ERs on the Houston – Paris CDG (from September 1) and Newark – Paris CDG routes (from October 1). The airline is not the only US major to cut capacity between the US and Europe this winter as the carriers seek to rationalise their networks with international partners. Continental Airlines was the sixth largest carrier in this market in the last year carrying an estimated 3.44 million of the 46.27 million O&D passengers that flew between Europe and the US.


CATHAY PACIFIC EXPANDS NETWORK COVERAGE INTO MEXICO

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways is to boost its activities in North America after extending its co-operation with Alaska Airlines to include two destinations in Mexico. With effect from June 15 the airline’s ‘CX’ code will be displayed on Alaska Airlines’ flights from Los Angeles to Guadalajara and Mexico City, adding to its existing codeshare deals in the Americas with LAN Airlines from Lima, Preu and Santiago, Chile. “We first entered the Latin American market in May 2010 and we are glad to see a further expansion of our presence there with Alaska Airlines, offering seamless connections for our passengers flying to Mexico,” said John Slosar, Chief Executive Officer, Cathay Pacific Airways. The Asian airline first started working with Alaska Airlines in October last year and currently has a codeshare agreement in place on the US carrier’s services from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver to Seattle and Portland.

Richard Maslen

Richard Maslen has travelled across the globe to report on developments in the aviation sector as airlines and airports have continued to evolve and…