Czech Connect Airlines Increases Russian Links
Czech Connect Airlines is to introduce two new routes this winter further expanding its network between the Czech Republic and Russia. The carrier will launch a weekly flight between Karlovy Vary and Rostov from October 13, adding to its existing link to Ekaterinburg from the spa city, situated in western Bohemia on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 80 miles west of Prague. A new flight will also be introduced between Pardubice, around 65 miles east of the capital, to Moscow Domodedovo from November 5, a destination it already serves from Brno. An estimated 814,000 O&D passengers now fly between the Czech Republic and Russia each year and Czech Connect’s niche services have seen it generate a 3.6 per cent share of this traffic already.
SAS Confirms Copenhagen Expansion
SAS Scandinavian Airlines is to add five new routes from Copenhagen Airport during summer 2012 as part of its recently announced summer network expansion. The carrier confirmed earlier this month that it would launch or resume services across 21 European routes from Scandinavia and has now revealed this will include expansion from the Danish capital. From the end of March SAS will offer three times weekly services to Kaliningrad, a four times weekly flight to Katowice and up to four flights per week (depending upon date) to Malaga. In July seasonal routes to Dubrovnik and Split will also be added. “We expect a large part of the growth in air travel to come from leisure passengers, and SAS naturally wants to participate in this growth. Moreover, it will allow us to use our capacity even better and to increase our offering,” said Rickard Gustafson, Chief Executive Officer of SAS. “Overall, this is an offensive initiative designed to generate profitable growth for our customers as well as for SAS." Other new routes from SAS for summer 2012 include links from Bergen to Barcelona, Malaga, Manchester, Palma de Mallorca, Split; Oslo to Antalya and Faro; Stockholm to Alicante, Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Malaga and Reykjavik and Stavanger to Barcelona, Nice, Palma de Mallorca and Split.
British Airways Adds to Nice Offering
British Airways (BA) is to launch a three times daily service between London Gatwick and Nice from March 25, 2012, complementing its existing seven times daily flight (eight at weekends) from London Heathrow. The route is already served by easyJet three times daily with a current demand of around 311,000 O&D passenger a year. BA currently has a 44.5 per cent share of the 993,000 O&D passengers that fly between London and Nice, a city pair that it also serves daily from London City through its CityFlyer subsidiary. But, easyJet dominates the route and its share of the market is growing and the new London Gatwick service will go some way to helping BA compete more effectively with its low-cost rival.
easyJet Boosts Flights to Gibraltar
UK carrier easyJet has announced plans to increase capacity between London Gatwick and Gibraltar during summer 2012, increasing the frequency of its flights on the route. The additional four flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays and will provide more flexibility to business and leisure travellers. The airline carried an estimated 101,000 O&D passengers on the route in the past year and is the only operator between the two destinations. Gibraltar lies at the southern most tip of Spain and offers Mediterranean sunshine, sandy beaches, crystal blue waters and tax-free spending with the Gibraltarian pound, making it a convenient and affordable holiday destination. “We’re thrilled to provide extra frequency on this busy route, particularly as the new terminal facilities at Gibraltar Airport will soon be available,” said Paul Simmons, UK Director, easyJet. “Famed for its fantastic 426m high rock and steeped in history, Gibraltar offers a great mix of cultures with British traditions, and with the benefit of the Mediterranean climate making it a great beach and city destination and ideal for both business and leisure customers.” The London Gatwick – Gibraltar route has shown a high demand for the past few years since previously being operated by British Airways (BA). An estimated 85,000 O&D passengers flew on the route in 2006; rising to 136,000 in 2007 as BA increased capacity. easyJet entered the market in 2008 and numbers grew still further to 221,000, before slipping to 211,000 in 2009. BA’s closure of the route in 2009 meant estimated O&D passenger numbers fell to 101,000 in 2010 due to the reduced capacity, a figure that is now expected to grow as frequency is increased. “This route has always shown very high demand and for some time now we’ve had requests for more capacity to be made available on this service,” explained The Hon. Joe Holliday, Minister for Transport of the Government of Gibraltar.
Lufthansa Adds Another Munich – London Flight
German national carrier Lufthansa is to introduce an eighth daily flight between Munich and London Heathrow this winter. The additional service, which will be introduced from October 30, will operate as a late night departure from the Bavarian city and an early morning return from London. Lufthansa competes directly with British Airways on the route. It carried an estimated 344,000 O&D passengers during the past year, a 47 per cent share of the total market. This is a 6.8 per cent decline on the previous 12 month period, when it held a 51 per cent share of the market, although the carrier’s yield has strengthened as average one-way fares have increased from $164 to $184.
Edelweiss Air Pushes Ahead with Seasonal Tokyo Link
Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss Air is expected to launch a weekly service between Zurich and Tokyo Narita next summer, almost a year later than originally planned. The airline, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss International Air Lines, was due to inaugurate the route in summer 2011, but after this year’s tragic earthquake and subsequent tsunami that caused devastation across parts of Japan, the airline dropped the launch. According to the latest update to the airline’s GDS inventory, the flight will be introduced between May 26, 2012 and September 22, 2012, complementing the existing daily services of Swiss on the route. An estimated 72,000 O&D passengers travelled between Zurich and Tokyo Narita last year.
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