A hijacker seized a Sudanese passenger plane carrying 103 people on Wednesday and forced the pilot at gunpoint to fly to the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, where he surrendered, officials said.
Saif Omer, Air West airline’s managing director, said the man walked out of the Boeing 737 after it landed in Chad and said he wanted asylum in Britain. No one was injured, Omer said.
source: kotv.com
Already preparing to launch flights to four new cities this year, Spirit Airlines’ CEO says the carrier could add at least that number or more in 2007 as it continues its push into Latin America and the Caribbean.
Spirit plans to start service from Fort Lauderdale to St. Maarten, Port-au-Prince and Caracas, Venezuela, in April. Flights to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, start in March. CEO Ben Baldanza told The DAILY he is in final discussions on more destinations, which he will unveil in the coming weeks.
The carrier’s focus on international spots from its Fort Lauderdale base to Latin and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, should move the carrier’s international capacity from 25% at the end of last year to 50% in 2007, Baldanza said. The airline is taking delivery of six Airbus aircraft in 2007 and three in 2008. Aircraft arriving in the next two years are part of a previous Airbus order. Earlier this week, Spirit tapped Airbus for 30 more A319s for delivery in 2009 through 2013.
source: Aviationweek.com
British Airways said that it has been advised by the Transport and General Workers’ Union (TGWU) that the union has called off the first 24 hours of a planned 72 hours stoppage by cabin crew, due to begin on Jan 29.
The airline intends to announce a flying programme tomorrow for Jan 30 and Jan 31. Strikes are still scheduled to take place on those dates, followed by 72-hour walkouts on Feb 5 and Feb 12.
In the wake of the decision, British Airways said in a separate statement that the TGWU ”should act immediately” to call off its planned strikes completely.
source: Forbes
GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, Brazil’s low-cost, low-fare airline, finished 2006 as one of the largest e-commerce companies in Brazil, effecting R$ 3.7 billion in gross ticket sales through its website, www.voegol.com.br . Internet sales accounted for 82% of the Company’s R$ 4.6 billion total gross sales during 2006. Gross operating revenues from passengers flown in 2006 were approximately R$ 3.7 billion, and total net operating revenues were approximately R$ 3.8 billion.
source: Yahoo!
Low-cost airline Ryanair has launched a campaign offering 1 mln free flights to passengers who write to UK chancellor Gordon Brown to voice their disapproval about the forthcoming 10 stg air passenger duty bill.
The government, which raised the charge from 5 stg, said the increase is a response to growing fears the aviation industry is a significant contributor to global warming.
source: Forbes
Jetstar, the low-cost unit of Australia’s Qantas Airways, will shift its focus from short-haul flights to long-haul services this year, the carrier’s chief executive said Tuesday, becoming the latest airline to turn its attention to the emerging market for cheap, long-distance flights.
Jetstar’s long-haul service, which includes flights from Melbourne and Sydney to destinations such as Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand, as well as Honolulu and Bali, Indonesia, broke even in December 2006 after one month of operations, Chief Executive Alan Joyce said at a conference on the Asia-Pacific budget airline industry.
source: Forbes
Spirit Airlines has purchased 30 additional Airbus A319 aircraft, with new deliveries beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2013.
When combined with Spirit’s existing all-Airbus fleet and current orders, this new order would grow the airline’s fleet to 70 aircraft. The aircraft will be powered by V2500 engines from International Aero Engines (IAE). In addition, Spirit has agreed to purchase eleven spare engines from IAE to support its existing and newly ordered Airbus fleet.
“‘Spirit’s new business model and low cost structure are anchored by the efficiency of the Airbus single-aisle aircraft and the V2500 powerplant,’†said Ben Baldanza, President and CEO of Spirit Airlines. “‘When coupled with high productivity in all parts of our operation, these new airplanes affirm Spirit’s position as the leading low cost carrier to the Caribbean and Latin America as well as provide the basis for a sound and rational growth plan into the next decade.’â€
source: BusinessWire
Swiss has been named “Best Airline for Europe” in this year`s coveted Business Traveller Awards. The overall top spot was the result of the airline`s top rankings in various specific areas: the readers of Germany`s Business Traveller magazine placed Switzerland`s quality carrier first in the “Cabin Crew”, “Ground Services”, “Cabin Comfort” and “Inflight Food & Drink” categories. Swiss also earned third place overall in the “Best Airline to the Middle East and Africa” category.
source: Traveldailynews
Dusseldorf International closed the year 2006 with a record number of passengers. The airport saw 16.6 million passengers, more than ever before in its history. This was over a million passengers more than in the previous year, a growth rate of seven percent. The number of arrivals and departures at Nordrhein-Westfalen’s largest airport increased by about 7.5 percent over the previous year to over 215,000 flights – also a historic high.
source: traveldailynews.com
Imagine flying round trip between New York City and Rome for less money than you’d pay to take a shuttle flight round trip between New York and Boston. Imagine flying your family of four — or any group of four — on a springtime trip to the Eternal City for a total airfare cost of less than $1,200 for the entire group.
This spring, you’ll be able to make that round trip from New York for $299 per person from April 21-May 8 aboard an Italian airline called Eurofly. This promotional airfare might be the lowest per mile in aviation history.
Eurofly has been operating throughout the world for more than 15 years, but it did so in the past as a charter airline for Alitalia. Last year, it began flying the Atlantic for the first time as an independent carrier under its own name, from New York to Italy’s Rome, Bologna, Naples and Palermo, Sicily. The $299 round-trip fare, which will be guaranteed to at least 1,000 passengers, is obviously an attempt by the Italian company to make a big splash, impressing its name on the minds of American travelers.
source: SFGate.com
