Germanwings Expands from Cologne/Bonn
Germanwings is to increase its operations from Cologne/Bonn as it deepens its route development relationship with Lufthansa. The two airlines announced late last year that they are now working together to maximise synergies by developing a joint network development plan across the country. This was first revealed at Stuttgart, where Germanwings will be taking over all of Lufthansa’s European flights and is now being replicated across Germany. From the start of the Northern Summer schedules on March 25, 2012, Germanwings will take over the operation of Lufthansa’s existing three times daily link to London Heathrow and will also introduce a four times weekly service to Naples, a three times weekly rotation to Rijeka and twice weekly flights to Catania and Nador. Germanwings is already the largest operator at Cologne/Bonn with just under 300 weekly flights to 38 destinations, accounting for 42.0 per cent of the available weekly seats. Although Germanwings has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa since the start of 2009, it is only now that the carriers have developed a joint network strategy to optimise their schedules and strengthen their joint positions in the German market. This model is to be extended to other cities across the country and in the future Germanwings will become responsible for European international flights from Hanover, alongside Cologne and Stuttgart, while Lufthansa will serve European destinations from Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Berlin.
SAS and Singapore Airlines Boost Asian Links to Scandinavia
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Scandinavian Airlines have agreed to boost air services between Singapore and destinations in Scandinavia - including the potential to open a new direct flight to the Swedish capital Stockholm. Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed this week, the Star Alliance partners plan to co-operate on existing as well as new flights. Subject to regulatory approval, the airlines are to participate in joint operations, including the co-ordination of flight schedules and joint sales activities. “Such joint operations are expected to enhance efficiency while giving the travelling public greater choice and flexibility,” according to a joint statement from the airlines. SIA currently operates three weekly flights between Singapore and the Danish capital Copenhagen. The partnership is expected to lead to growth in air services between Singapore and Scandinavia, and, depending on market conditions, pave the way for a new route between Singapore and Stockholm. No airline currently operates non-stop flights between the two cities, although an estimated 20,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route in the past year, around a fifth flying with Thai Airways International via Bangkok. “We are extremely pleased to have reached this breakthrough agreement,” said Mak Swee Wah, Executive Vice President Commercial, Singapore Airlines. “SIA and SAS share a common desire to provide more travel choices to our customers, and through our partnership we can jointly offer more flights between our home markets, which would otherwise be difficult to provide on our own.” SIA has been codesharing on SAS-operated flights beyond Copenhagen, to Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm since December 2010, while SAS has in turn been codesharing on SIA-operated flights between Copenhagen and Singapore as well as on selected flights between Singapore and Bangkok.
Adria Adds Priština - Verona and Expands S12 Offering
Slovenian national carrier Adria Airways is to launch a new route between Priština and the Italian city of Verona as part of its revised 2012 schedule. The airline confirms that it will offer more than 170 scheduled flights per week from its main base at Ljubljana this summer serving 18 destinations. Its network will cover Amsterdam, Barcelona, Belgrade, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London, Istanbul, Manchester, Moscow, Munich, Podgorica, Priština, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana, Vienna and Zurich. This list includes the resumption of some routes, most notably to London, with the reintroduction of a five times weekly link to London Gatwick from March 28, 2012. The new Priština – Verona service is due to commence on January 28, 2012 and is currently planned to operate on a twice weekly basis until March 24, 2012. It marks an expansion in Priština, the capital and largest city of Kosovo, which it currently serves from Ljubljana as well as with links to the German cities of Frankfurt and Munich, major hubs of Star Alliance partner Lufthansa. The Priština – Verona route was until recently operated by meridiana fly and it is understood that a travel organisation that was contracted to acquire on each flight approached Adria to maintain the link for the remainder of the Northern Winter schedule. Alongside its scheduled network, Adria is also involved in flying a significant charter network connecting Ljubljana with numerous leisure destinations for travel agents. The airline will fly weekly to the Greek destinations of Heraklion, Rhodes, Kos, Santorini, Karpathos, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Skiathos, Samos, Chios, Lesbos, Lefkada/Preveza and Kavala as well as offering flights to Antalya, Malta, Menorca and Palma and its year-round charter links to Hurghada and Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt.
easyJet Brings A320 to Newcastle
UK low-cost carrier easyJet is to base a single Airbus A320 at Newcastle International Airport this summer providing an additional 13,000 seats to passengers on its flights from the North East England gateway. The budget operator confirmed this week that it would switch one of the 156-seat A319s that currently fly from the airport with a larger 180-seat A320. “Due to increased customer demand we are replacing an Airbus A319 with an Airbus A320 to provide additional seats to our loyal flyers,” said Hugh Aitken, Commercial Manager, easyJet. “This move demonstrates that easyJet is committed to further growth at Newcastle Airport.” The airline has reduced its network at the airport over the past few years and as the table below illustrates, it has seen its share of the traffic decrease from 44.8 per cent to 31.0 per cent in the past five years as fellow budget carrier Jet2.com has developed its own position at the facility. However, easyJet remains the largest carrier by traffic with its two domestic routes to Belfast and Bristol the busiest in the airport’s network carrying in excess of 200,000 passengers per year. The airline also offers international service to Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Geneva, Ibiza, Malaga, Malta, Menorca, Nice, Palma and Paris from Newcastle International.
Titan Airways to Offer Corsica Connection
UK charter provider Titan Airways is to once again offer flights for travel company Corsican Places between London Stansted and Calvi this summer. This is the third year that the companies have cooperated with an exclusive arrangement on this charter route, which will see the operation of a weekly 737-300 during the summer schedules. The flight has been arranged with a morning departure to complement check-in times at the Corsican hotels. With short transfers into the main town of Calvi and other resorts in La Balagne region, the service will also provide visitors with easy access to the popular resort of St Florent in the North East, approximately one hour away. “We are delighted to continue our successful charter programme with Titan Airways for a third season. Titan Airways has achieved the highest praise of any carrier that we have worked with for the past two years running, achieving an impressive 85% score with our customers,” said Paul Kenny, Commercial Manager Corsican Places. “Titan Airways shares the same values as us in putting customer service as their highest priority and we have received regular comments about the comfort onboard and the airline’s friendly cabin crew.” Founded in 1988, Titan Airways is an established player in the European charter market, providing a bespoke charter tailored to each client’s demands, catering for individuals or groups from 1 to 265 passengers. Its fleet ranges in size from the Cessna Citation CJ2+ executive jet to the widebodied Boeing 767-300ER, but is mainly dominated by BAe 146s and Boeing 737s and 757s. Titan Airways’ sister company Snowjet, operates services from London Stansted and London Gatwick to Chambery and direct flights from London Stansted to Sion between December and April, using Titan Airways aircraft. Titan Airways also operates winter ski charters on behalf of leading UK ski tour operators including Crystal Ski, Thomson Ski, Club Med, Esprit Holidays, Inghams and Ski World.
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