London’s Heathrow Airport is proposing to reduce domestic passenger charges and shift the financial emphasis of airport landing charges instead on incentivizing the use of cleaner, quieter aircraft.
Vietnam-based low-cost carrier (LCC) VietJet Air is looking to expand its north Asian reach using alliances and joint ventures (JVs) with other airlines, rather than extend its existing route network.
Malaysia-based low-cost carrier AirAsia X is following through on its previous signals that Hawaii and Europe routes will be added to its network as part of its new business plan.
Virgin America will launch daily flights between San Francisco and Honolulu, Oahu from November 2, 2015, and between San Francisco and Kahului, Maui from December 3, 2015. It is currently working with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) and Airbus to ensure its new Airbus A320 aircraft are certified for Extended-Range Operations (ETOPS) to fly longer range missions over water flights.
Etihad Airways has increased its service between Abu Dhabi and Seychelles from four flights per week to daily to give guests more choice and greater flexibility when travelling to and from Seychelles.
Qatar Airways launched its second new destination of the year, touching down in the Spice Island of Zanzibar this week. Zanzibar is the airline's third route in Tanzania, following Dar-es-Salaam and Kilimanjaro.
The carrier will introduce daily services from Albany International Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Orlando International Airport from December 10, 2015 using 150-seat Airbus A320 equipment. Elsewhere in the Empire State, JetBlue serves airports in Buffalo; Newburgh; New York City (LaGuardia and Kennedy); Rochester; Syracuse; and Westchester County.
SkyTeam partners Delta Air Lines and Aeromexico aim to launch a transborder joint venture (JV) for flights between the US and Mexico similar to the transatlantic JVs Delta operates with Virgin Atlantic Airways and Air France-KLM/Alitalia.
Air Canada said it opposes improvements to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport that would permit Porter Airlines to operate Bombardier CSeries aircraft from the facility, arguing the airport should continue allowing only turboprop operations.
Subject to final regulatory approval, Alaska Airlines will offer a four times weekly schedule between Orange County and San José del Cabo, in the Baja California Sur state, starting from October 8, 2015 and three times weekly between Orange County and Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta from October 9, 2015. Both routes will be flown using Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 equipment.
The airline, part of the Volga-Dnepr Group, introduced a twice weekly connection to Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi from its base at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport from April 1, 2015. The flights from Vietnam operate via Hong Kong and connect in the Russian capital to AirBridgeCargo’s wider network into Europe and the United States.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015, the region's leading travel industry showcase, opens its doors this morning for four days of business networking opportunities, insightful seminar sessions, ministerial discussions and recognition of 12 months of industry achievement.
Lufthansa subsidiary Air Dolomiti is evaluating new opportunities such as inclusion in the Eurowings concept. The Italian carrier provides point-to-point service and operates as a Munich hub feeder for Lufthansa.
The Saint Helena government said it has concluded negotiations for South African airline Comair to provide an air bridge for the remote British island territory.
The UK Department for Transport has received bids for 19 new regional routes that could be eligible for government start-up funding aimed at boosting connectivity through the UK’s smaller regional airports.
South Korean low-cost carriers (LCCs) will need to change their strategy as the market matures, T’way Air president and CEO Hahm Chul-ho said. T’way Air is the country’s longest established LCC.
The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) has expressed confidence that the number of Arab travelers visiting Brazil will grow further significantly in the coming years. Brazil saw a strong influx of visitors from Middle Eastern countries last year especially at the height of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
German critics of Gulf carriers' relatively low cost fares will be celebrating today as German carrier Eurowings announced it is to launch flights to Dubai in October with tickets costing less than 100 Euros ($111).
Wizz Air first launched operations in Poland in 2004 and has subsequently built up a strong presence in the country over the subsequent eleven years. As a result of these latest network additions it will now offer a total of 113 Polish routes to 20 countries from seven Polish airports.
The airline announced it would resume flights to Dublin last September when it also revealed summer 2015 network plans to reintroduce links between Helsinki and Athens and Malta. The Irish market was last served by the carrier in summer 2007 and it is now offering a six times weekly link through to the end of October 2015 using a 100-seat Embraer E190.
