Turkish Airlines launched five-times-weekly Istanbul Ataturk-Jakarta service. AirTran Airways will launch service to Nassau Dec. 17 from Atlanta (daily), Baltimore (four-times-weekly) and Orlando International (four-times-weekly) and to Montego Bay Feb. 11 from ATL (daily), BWI (daily) and MCO (four-times-weekly). Wizz Air will launch twice-weekly Kiev Boryspil-Treviso service Oct. 27, increasing to thrice-weekly Dec. 15. Bmibaby will operate twice-weekly Manchester-Lourdes service April 30-Oct. 1, 2010.
Etihad Holidays has launched its Eid programme which contains deals at more than 30 hotels in destinations in Africa, Europe, the Far East and Middle East offering accommodation, return Etihad Airways flights and much more.
Etihad Airways yesterday launched thrice-weekly Abu Dhabi-Chicago O'Hare service aboard an A340-500, increasing to six-times-weekly on Oct. 31 and daily from the beginning of 2010. Alaska Airlines launched daily Portland, Ore.-San Jose-Austin service Tuesday aboard a Wi-Fi equipped 737-700. Route becomes twice-daily on March 14. Air Berlin will operate seasonal weekly service from Nuremberg to Araxos and Kalamata beginning May 4.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission instituted proceedings in federal court against Garuda Indonesia, the 10th airline now accused of "alleged price-fixing in the air cargo industry," the regulatory body said. ACCC claimed that between 2001 and 2006 Garuda "entered into arrangements or understandings" with other airlines intending to collude on fuel and security surcharges. A hearing has been set for Oct. 22 in Sydney.
EasyJet yesterday announced a proposal to close its Nottingham East Midlands base and reduce flying at London Luton by 20% as it shifts capacity "to more profitable airports" in continental Europe.
Norwegian will launch winter-season flights from Stockholm Arlanda to Barcelona and Tenerife (in October) and Salzburg (December) and from Copenhagen to Geneva, SZG and BCN, as well as Trondheim-Las Palmas service. It also will add third weekly flights to Dubai from CPH and ARN and a weekly service from CPH.
Gulf Air launched its five-times-weekly Bahrain-Baghdad service Monday and said it plans to launch flights to both Najaf and Erbil on Sept. 15. Routes to Basra and Solamnia will follow. It said it aims to be the "market leader" in Iraq.
Southwest Airlines announced schedule adjustments for the Jan. 9-March 12, 2010, period featuring elimination of 92 individual flights and addition of another 42, including new service from St. Louis to Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul beginning Jan. 10. It temporarily will suspend Albuquerque-Portland, Ore., Manchester, N.H.-Pheonix and Kansas City-Seattle service. AirBaltic yesterday launched twice-weekly Riga-Pskov service aboard an F50. IndiGo will launch twice-weekly Kolkata-Dibrugarh service on Sept. 16.
Wizz Air yesterday announced the addition of a third aircraft in Prague in June 2010 in response to SkyEurope Airlines' shutdown ( ATWOnline, Sept. 1). It also will increase frequencies on existing services to London Luton, Rome Fiumicino, Bergamo, Brussels Charleroi and Eindhoven in September and October. Meanwhile, Niki CEO Otmar Lenz confirmed to ATWOnline that the carrier will look to expand into areas that lost service as a result of SkyEurope's demise.
