American Airlines announced new international service from New York JFK to San Jose, Costa Rica (five-times-weekly from April 6 aboard a 757), Madrid (daily from May 1 aboard a 757) and Manchester (daily from May 13 aboard a 757), boosting the number of foreign destinations it serves from the airport to 31.
Air France yesterday operated its first A380 flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Johannesburg, becoming the first airline to fly the aircraft to Africa. The 538-seat aircraft will operate three of AF's 10 weekly flights between the airports to March 28, at which point the route's overall frequency will fall to daily. When AF's third A380 enters service in April, CDG-JNB will be operated exclusively by the type.
Royal Air Maroc will launch twice-weekly Casablanca-Warsaw service on March 30 aboard a 737-800. El Al will launch thrice-daily Tel Aviv-Eilat service in the spring. Continental Airlines will launch ERJ service from Cleveland to Green Bay (11-times-weekly) and Norfolk (twice-daily) on May 2. AirTran Airways will launch service from Grand Rapids to Baltimore (twice-daily) and Orlando International (daily) on May 4.
Niki President Niki Lauda told ATWOnline in Vienna that he will remain in charge of the LCC following Air Berlin's move to increase its share to 49.9% and that the airlines will work together to create efficiencies that will allow them to compete with heavyweights Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines ( ATWOnline, Feb. 18).
Vietnam is the latest Asian country to get an AirAsia subsidiary. Routes News examines what the establishment of Vietjet AirAsia means for the country and the carriers already operating there.
Michael Bell, partner and consultant at Spencer Stuart moderated this year's Routes Americas Strategy Forum. Here he offers a round up of the top talking points that took place in a packed room of airport and airline decision-makers.
Best known as a gateway for Disney tourists, Orlando International (MCO) is less well-known for its central role in feeding traffic to a diverse local economy, where key industries include major corporations, technology, aerospace and healthcare sectors and the USA’s second largest convention centre.
Norwegian Air Shuttle recently announced its first service into the Finnish market with scheduled services from Oslo and Stockholm (two of its three primary bases) to Helsinki. Routes News asks whether this just the start of a major expansion into the Finnish market?
Norwegian will add an eighth 737 to it Stockholm Arlanda base and launch service to London Gatwick (six-times-weekly from April 29), Edinburgh (thrice-weekly from May 6) and Munich (thrice-weekly from May 7).
American Airlines and Delta Air Lines joined United Airlines, Continental Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines in applying to serve Tokyo Haneda. The US Dept. of Transportation will distribute four slot pairs ( ATWOnline, Feb. 17). AA applied for the right to operate daily 777 flights to HND from both New York JFK and Los Angeles beginning Oct. 1 and DL proposed daily flights from Seattle (A330-300s), Detroit, Honolulu and LAX (all 747-400s) beginning Oct. 31.
