News From Around The World

Emirates Boosts its US Presence With Dallas and Seattle Links

Emirates Airline is set for significant expansion in the US market after announcing this week that it will inaugurate daily services to Seattle and Dallas during the first quarter of 2012 (read full story here).


Arik Air Expands Across African Continent

Nigerian carrier Arik Air has confirmed its operational plans on the Lagos – Bamako route, a service that was tentatively formalised at Routes Africa in Bamako, Mali earlier this year (read full story here).


ArkeFly's Amsterdam - Oakland International Connection

ArkeFly is to introduce services between Amsterdam and Oakland International in June next year boosting passenger links between Europe and the San Francisco Bay Area (read full story here).


Korean Air Increases London Service With New Gatwick Flight

Korean Air is to launch a three times weekly service between Seoul Incheon and London Gatwick from March 27, 2012. The new flight, operated by a Boeing 777-200ER will supplement the airline's daily scheduled between Seoul Incheon and London Heathrow.


AirAsia Adds Link from Kuala Lumpur to Da Nang

Low-cost carrier Air Asia is to inaugurate flights from its Kuala Lumpur base to Da Nang, Vietnam's third largest city and home to ancient ruins and sunny white sandy beaches. The four times weekly schedule will commence from December 16. This new service will be AirAsia’s third destination in Vietnam after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and is the airline’s seventh destination within Indochina which includes Siem Reap, Phnom Penh (Cambodia); Vientiane (Laos) and Yangon (Myanmar).


Orlando Sanford Secures Vision Air Link to Clarksburg

Vision Air is to introduce a twice weeekly service between Orlando Sanford International and North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB) in Clarksburg, West Virginia from December 24. This will be its
route is the third non-stop destination from Orlando Sanford, adding to existing connections to Louisville, KY and Destin / Ft. Walton Beach, FL.


Finnair to Launch Helsinki - Dubrovnik Link in April 2012

Finnair is to introduce a three times weekly link between its Helsinki hub and the Croatian resort destination of Dubrovnik. The three times weekly service will commence on April 3, 2012 and eill be operated by an Airbus A320.


Air France Cuts Capacity on Marseille - Milan Malpensa Route

Air France is to reduce capacity on its new Marseille - Milan Malpensa service before the route is launched. It will use an Airlinair ATR on the up to twice daily link from October 2, rather than a mainline Airbus A320 as originally planned.


Biman adds Capacity to Abu Dhabi, Karachi and Muscat in W11

Biman Bangladesh Airlines is to boost flights on the Dhaka - Karachi - Muscat route this winter with weekly services to Karachi increasing from two to three a week and Muscat from three to five. Dhaka – Chittagong – Abu Dhabi will also see a third weekly rotation.


China Southern Doubles China – Osaka Service in W11

China Southern Airlines is to increase its flights to Osaska Kansai International to 34 a week this winter with twice daily link from Guangzhou and non-stop schedules from Changchun and Harbin.


Silk Air Adjusts Planned Chongqing Schedule in W11

SilkAir to offer unified schedule on Singapore - Chonqing this winter with morning departure from Singapore and midday return; will offer five flights per week, up from three.


Qantas to Launch Flights to Santiago

Qantas is to introduce a three times weekly service between Sydney and Santiago de Chile from March 26, 2012 but this will come at the expense of its existing service to the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. The flight will be operated using a Boeing 747-400 and bookings are now being accepted to the new destination.


Delta to Boost Flights Between Honolulu and Oaska in 2012

Delta Air Lines is to boost frequencies on its Honolulu – Osaka route for select periods next year. The US carrier will add two further rotations between March 6 and April 3 and then from July 13, increasing weekly flights from seven to nine. The additional services will be operated by a Boeing 767-300ER, complementing a daily Airbus A330-300 flight.


EVA Air and UNI Air to Add More Routes to China

EVA Air and its partner carrier UNI Air continue to expand links between Taiwan and China with a new twice weekly Taipei Taoyuan – Haikou route from October 31, and three times weekly flights from Taipei Taoyuan to Harbin and Shenyang from December 11. All flights will be operated using Airbus A330-200 equipment.


Etihad and Vietnam Airlines Confirm Codeshare

This winter Etihad Airways and Vietnam Airlines will begin a bilateral codeshare between Vietnam and Abu Dhabi, via the Thai capital Bangkok. Etihad offers flights on the Abu Dhabi – Bangkok sector and Vietnam between Bangkok and Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.


Transaero Adds Capacity to Sanya

Russian carrier Transaero Airlines is to increase capacity on the Moscow Domodedovo – Sanya route, which will be operated twice weekly using a Boeing 777-200ER from October 30. It currently offers a weekly summer flight using a 767-300ER.


Air France Adds Second Paris – Pointe-a-Pitre Rotation

Air France is to introduce a second weekly flight on the Paris CDG – Pointe-a-Pitre route from December 9, according to the latest update to its GDS inventory. The second rotation will be operated by a Boeing 747-400, supplementing the existing 777-300ER service.


Donavia Builds its Network at Mineralnye Vody

Russian carrier Donavia is to introduce four new flights from Mineralnye Vody this winter with links to major CIS cities. From October 30, it will offer a daily flight to St Petersburg, a three times weekly service to Baku and twice weekly rotations to Tashkent and Yerevan. Its existing Moscow Sheremetyevo route will see a frequency increase from a daily to three times daily schedule.


AirAsia Adds Capacity on Kauala Lumpur – Singapore

Low-cost carrier AirAsia is to increase capacity between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore with the introduction of two additional daily flights. The first, its twelfth on the route will begin from October 30, while the thirteenth will commence from December 15.


China Airlines to Launch Taipei – Dalian

Taiwanese carrier China Airlines is to launch a weekly service between Taipei Taoyuan and Dalian every Wednesday from November 4. The route will be operated by an Airbus A330-300 and will add to existing services of China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines and UNI Air.


Korean Air Switches Jets on Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur Routes

Korean Air is set to modify its schedules between Seoul Incheon and the Indonesian and Malaysian capital cities this winter. Jakarta will be upgraded from a Boeing 777-200ER to a 777-300ER, while Kuala Lumpur will be flown with a 777-200ER from January 1, 2012 rather than planned 777-300ER.

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…