Industry reaction to the Airport Commission decision not to shortlist a new airport in inner Thames Estuary as a possible solution to the UK’s long-term capacity needs has been largely supportive, urging London Mayor Boris Johnson to support whichever option is ultimately selected.
UK-based Virgin Atlantic Airways will reconfigure its route network by cutting services to Asian and African destinations in favor of a greater concentration on North Atlantic services.
African low-cost airline Fastjet will launch flights to its fourth international destination in the middle of September, inaugurating the first direct air link between Tanzania and Uganda.
In its role as an active and committed partner, Changi Airport Group is rolling out additional short-term measures to help airlines. The new incentives are targeted at long-haul flights and transfer traffic, two important segments of the hub’s air traffic mix and a key part of Changi Airport’s global connectivity.
UK carrier Virgin Atlantic Airways is to suspend flights to Cape Town, Mumbai, Tokyo and Vancouver as it instead looks to strengthen its transatlantic partnership with shareholder Delta Air Lines. The latest network changes are part of an ongoing network review and business recovery plan to return the carrier to long-term profitability.
Norwegian Air Shuttle said Tuesday that the US Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced it needs more time to reach a decision on Norwegian Air International’s (NAI) application for a foreign carrier permit to serve the US from Europe.
Philippine low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air has been granted entitlements to operate five additional international routes by the country’s Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
Condor will provide 518 seats per week to Portland and Providence including a Business Class offering using a Boeing 767-300 configured in three-class with 18 Business Class, 35 Premium Economy and 206 Economy seats. The Portland service will mark the return of flights to Oregon’s largest city from Frankfurt, a route previously served by Lufthansa up until September 2009.
The new Aer Lingus Regional operation will launch on October 23, 2014 and will be flown with 13 weekly services with two flights every day except Saturday when there will be just a single rotation. The carrier expects to carry up to 70,000 customers annually on the new route.
The United Arab Emirates has finally signed an extensive air services agreement (ASA) with the government of India which opens the way for growth in the number of flights to India and an increase in travel opportunities for Indian citizens.
The Lufthansa Group has resumed flight operations to Erbil in Northern Iraq, based on the most recent assessments of the security situation in Iraq, it said.
Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, and Hong Kong Airlines, an internationally-acclaimed SKYTRAX 4-star airline, have signed a codeshare agreement to provide travellers with enhanced connections in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
