The Virgin Blue Group on Thursday launched its inaugural V Australia flight to Abu Dhabi, becoming the first Australian airline to operate to the Middle East in more than 20 years. Qantas has used the Middle East only as a refueling stop prior to the introduction of the Boeing 747-400 and no Australian airlines have ever used that region as a hub to Europe and Africa.
Shanghai-based Spring Airlines, China's most profitable LCC, said it will launch a new four-times-weekly charter Airbus A320 Shanghai-Takamatsu service, part of a planned expansion in the Japanese market over the next few years.
Air Arabia, is to expand its service to the Qatari capital, Doha, from the carrier's primary hub in Sharjah, UAE. Air Arabia now offers twice-daily flights to the Qatari capital.
Australia-based Virgin Blue Group of Airlines yesterday launched its inaugural V Australia flight to Abu Dhabi, becoming the first Australian carrier to operate to the Middle East in 20 years.
Though the Japanese government has moved toward aviation market liberalization over the past year, evidenced most prominently by the new US/Japan "open skies" air services accord, Tokyo will need to go further if Japan's airports are to remain competitive in attracting international air cargo traffic, several observers of the Japanese air transport market said.
Event organisers Reed Exhibition said today that the Airport Show is receiving great support from many of the global industry leaders as the final touches are put on plans for the event which opens May 31
