news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

AirAsia, the Malaysia-based low-cost airline, is considering setting up airports in several south-east Asian countries following its proposal to build its own airport near Kuala Lumpur.

Tony Fernandes, the Air Asia founder and chief executive, has discussed opening budget terminals in Thailand, Indonesia and Burma to support the carrier’s regional network in what would be a further business expansion for AirAsia, according to people familiar with the plans.

source: FT.com

Award winning low cost airline Jet2 has announced that the airline will be operating a new route from Manchester to Tel Aviv from 21 may this year.

Jet2’s is confident it will provide an important gateway for the UK’s northern Jewish community to one of Israel’s largest cities.

source: alternativeairlines.com

Alitalia SpA begins operating under new ownership Tuesday but still faces the task of fighting off low-cost rivals in its pivotal domestic market. Alitalia has undergone massive change since it entered bankruptcy protection in late August with more than €1.2 billion ($1.6 billion) in debt.

As part of its restructuring, Alitalia has been merged with its biggest domestic rival, Air One SpA, giving it more than a 55% share of Italy’s internal flights, according to the airline. Lucrative domestic routes, such as that between Rome and Milan, form a key part of Alitalia’s plan to break even next year.

source: WSJ

Struggling Slovak low-cost airline SkyEurope said Wednesday its fleet had shrunk to five planes over the past few months from an original fifteen Boeing 737s it had last autumn.

SkyEurope with bases in Prague, Bratislava, Kosice and Vienna has never posted a profit in the six years of its existence.

The company listed in Vienna posted a loss of 59.4 million euros in the last financial year ending September 30, compared to 24.07 million last year, while its revenue grew 10.5 percent to 260.9 million euros from 236.2 million euros last year.

source: AFP

In one of the southern England’s greatest modern property rushes, more than 5,000 people signed up today to become joint owners of an acre of farmland on the line of the proposed third runway at Heathrow airport. They join Oscar winner Emma Thompson, comedian Alistair McGowan and Conservative party green adviser Zac Goldsmith who bought the land from under the nose of Heathrow airport owners BAA last week to try to slow airport expansion plans.

source: guardian.co.uk 

A new system for entry into the US comes into force next Monday, which will require travellers to submit electronically before their travel the information usually collected on green entry forms.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) becomes mandatory next Monday (12 January) for travellers from countries which participate in the Visa Waiver Program, which includes the UK.

Once an application is accepted, the authorisation is valid for multiple visits during a period of two years or until the approval is revoked or your passport expires.

source: Business Travel World

The takeover of much of the European airline industry by the continent’s biggest carrier seemed to move ahead today as separate reports linked German giant Lufthansa with bids for SAS of Scandinavia and Italy’s Alitalia.

Lufthansa recently took control of Britain’s bmi  –  Heathrow’s second biggest carrier  –  and has already taken over Swiss and Brussels Airlines and is in negotiations with Austrian Airlines.

Now executives at the German carrier have fuelled the belief they are stalking SAS.

source: Daily Mail

Southwest Airlines has put a Chicago-based pilot on paid leave and is investigating an incident Tuesday in which the pilot allegedly prepared to operate a flight from Columbus, Ohio, with alcohol on his breath.

Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins said Friday that the carrier “‘immediately replaced the captain’,” and the flight to Orlando, Fla., operated on time.

The airport police officer who investigated said in his report that the pilot never appeared under the influence of alcohol or drugs and didn’t stagger or fall.

source: Dallas News