Adria Shrinks Winter Network to Cut Costs
Slovenian national carrier Adria Airways is to significantly reduce its schedule during the Northern Winter, removing some of its loss-making routes. The network rationalisation follows just weeks after the airline’s shareholders approved a €50 million cash injection and a €19.7 million debt-to-equity conversion to offset the carrier’s current debts. The airline has confirmed that it will offer 163 flights per week from its Lubljana base to just 15 destinations from October 30. This will comprise four times daily services to Frankfurt; three times daily to Munich, Vienna and Zurich; 13 flights per week to Brussels; eleven to Skopje; nine to Moscow; eight to Belgrade; daily links to Istanbul, Priština and Tirana; six flights per week to Sarajevo; five to Amsterdam; three to Pogorica and two to Copenhagen. This will mean notable frequency cuts on some of these routes and the suspension of existing flights from the Slovenian capital to Banja Luka, London Gatwick, Paris CDG and Warsaw, although operations will continue on some of these routes through Adria’s Star Alliance partners. In December 2010, Adria Airways also started international flights from Priština and has confirmed it will continue to offer seven flights per week to Munich and four a week to Frankfurt this winter, although its route to Dusseldorf will be closed.
easyJet Boosts London Gatwick – Barcelona Flights
UK low-cost carrier easyJet is to increase frequencies on its London Gatwick – Barcelona route to six flights per day, providing an extra 2,500 seats for business and leisure passengers each month. The new service will be introduced from January 6, 2012 and will offer a mid-afternoon option for travellers flying on the route. The expansion will also mean total flights from London to the Spanish city will increase to ten a day with twice daily option already provided from London Luton and London Stansted. An estimated 464,000 O&D passengers travelled between London Gatwick and Barcelona in the past year, a route that easyJet currently holds a monopoly on after British Airways (BA) suspended its own flights between the two airports. In the past year, the low-cost carrier has witnessed a 25.8 per cent rise in passengers on the route, although its yield has slightly weakened as average one-way fares have slipped from $82 to $75. “Due to this increased demand we are adding extra frequency on our popular Gatwick to Barcelona route, making it even more accessible for both business and leisure passengers in the region,” said Paul Simmons, UK Director, easyJet. “The fact that we are Gatwick’s largest airline reflects easyJet’s commitment to providing travellers in the region with the best choice of destinations, at convenient times and at the lowest possible fares.” easyJet now offers passengers the choice of 93 destinations from London Gatwick, ten of which have been added in the past calendar year. These comprise: Kefalonia, Amman, Catania, Fuerteventura, Seville, Izmir, Bologna, Verona, Zagreb and Aberdeen. easyJet’s Barcelona route was actually the third busiest route from London Gatwick during the past 12 months, behind Ryanair’s connection to Dublin and easyJet’s own service to Malaga. easyJet is by far the largest operator at London Gatwick and now accounts for a 43.2 per cent share of the total 27.3 million O&D passengers that travelled to or from the airport in the past 12 months. Its closest rivals are British Airways (15.0 per cent), Ryanair (6.4 per cent), Virgin Atlantic Airways (4.8 per cent) and flybe UK (4.7 per cent).
Aer Arann to End Galway Flights
Irish regional carrier Aer Arann has confirmed that it will suspend all of its services from Galway Airport for the Northern Winter season. The carrier, which offered international links to Edinburgh, London Luton, London Southend and Manchester, Edinburgh and domestic flights to Waterford, said that bookings “have continued to deteriorate” and all these routes are “projected to be loss-making during the thinner winter season”, when bookings are historically lower. Aer Arann is the only operator providing scheduled flights from Galway but has seen demand slip over recent years. In 2007 the airport handled over 300,000 passengers but traffic has slipped over subsequent years to just 160,000 in 2010. The Irish carrier says it has been “working closely” with Galway Airport to “explore all commercial options in an environment where passenger numbers and revenue have continued to decline,” but was unable to resolve the problem. “We sincerely regret having to make this decision and we particularly regret the impact that this will have on our customers, on our staff in Aer Arann Regional and on the staff of Galway Airport” said Paul Schütz, Chief Executive Officer, Aer Arann. “The reality however is that we are not yet a year out of examinership and we are not in a position to continue to operate routes that are not commercially viable.” In the months ahead Aer Arann intends to work with Galway Airport with the intention that a strategy be put in place for the re-launch of services from Galway at the beginning of the summer season next April, including routes to the UK and France. “The emphasis now must be on sustainable services and by suspending loss-making services for the winter season both Galway Airport and Aer Arann Regional are doing what is best for both businesses at this time and we can work together on the potential for a resumption of services in 2012”, added Schütz.
Jet2.com Delighted with New Turkish Connection
UK low-fare carrier Jet2.com has revealed it will offer flights to a third destination in Turkey from its Manchester base next year with the launch of a scheduled service to Istanbul. The airline already offers flights to Bodrum and Dalaman; destinations it also serves from other UK bases at East Midlands Glasgow Leeds Bradford and Manchester. The new flight will operate twice weekly between March 16 and November 6 and will be operated in partnership with its travel agency Jet2holidays, offering passengers a mix of seat-only and Inclusive Tour packages. “Istanbul is the latest addition to the fantastic city and sun holiday destinations we offer direct from Manchester Airport. It is becoming an increasingly popular destination for a city break, so we’re really excited to be able to give travellers in the North West the chance to soak up the many delights on offer,” said Steve Heapy, Managing Director of Jet2holidays. Steeped in history, and one of the largest cities in the world, Istanbul was European capital of culture in 2010. Quintessentially Eastern, with its glittering mosques, cool night-spots, smart hotels and beautiful vistas, it is ideal for a romantic city break. The city also has a thriving modern side with an array of glamorous bars, restaurants and museums, including the Istanbul Modern – a privately funded modern art gallery and the city’s latest architectural icon. Manchester is already linked to Istanbul by Turkish Airlines (THY), the national carrier offering a daily service. However, the new Jet2.com service will complement rather than compete with this flight, mainly targeting leisure travellers. An estimated 57,000 O&D passengers flew between the two cities in the past year, up 4.2 per cent on the previous 12 month period. “Istanbul is a key destination and will provide those looking to visit with access to the only metropolis in the world that straddles two continents,” added Andrew Harrison, Managing Director, Manchester Airport.
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