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Lufthansa has reduced its fuel surcharge for long-haul flights from 62 to 52 â?¬ per sector. The airline says the move is â??’in response to the sustained drop in crude oil prices over the past several weeks’â?. The change takes effect from October 16. The surcharge for German domestic and intra-European flights will remain unchanged at twelve euros per sector.

Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines says it is dropping its surcharge from US$60 to US$54 per sector for flights booked after October 14.

The airline said: â??’In recent weeks, the price of jet fuel has dropped, although the price is still substantially higher than when the decision to impose surcharges was first made. Collections from the fuel surcharges have only ever given partial relief from the cost increase as a result of the high price of jet fuel.’â?

Air France has also reduced its surcharge. Because oil has stayed below $65 a barrel for 30 consecutive days, it is rolling back its most recent surcharge increase. The surcharges are now 16 â?¬ per flight on its domestic and European network, 46 â?¬ on long haul flights between France and US and 49 â?¬ per flight to other destinations.
fuente: Times Online

European Union air safety specialists this week gave the executive commission the authority to publish a Europe-wide blacklist of unsafe airlines, in a move aimed at replacing a country-by-country approach that is creating confusion.

‘ “There is consensus toward establishing a list of companies which are restricted or suspended from operating their aircraft to, from or over Europe,”‘ said Roberto Salvarani, head of the European Commission air safety unit. The group was pushed into action by uncoordinated country-by-country actions in the wake of a rash of crashes in the last month.

source: International Herald Tribune

Wizz Air has announced it is to become the second low-cost airline to operate from Coventry Airport with flights to Katowice in southern Poland from July 2007.

The carrier, which is the largest low-fare airline in central and eastern Europe and the second-largest airline in Poland, plans to run the flights three times weekly, transporting up to 50,000 passengers a year.

source: Leamington Spa Today

Icelandair will begin service to Bergen, Norway, with 3 flights a week and to Gothenburg, Sweden, with 2 flights a week and offer 4 flights a week from Halifax, Canada, starting spring 2007. Icelandair will also increase the number of flights to Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Helsinki and include new afternoon flights from Boston and New York-JFK.

source: PR Newswire

Singapore Airlines Ltd said it will reduce its fuel surcharge for tickets issued on or after Oct 14 following the sustained decline in jet fuel prices.

In a statement, the flag carrier said it will cut its fuel surcharge to $18 from $20 per sector, for flights between Singapore and Southeast Asian countries.

It will also slash fuel surcharge to $82 from $90 per sector, for flights between Singapore and the US and Canada.

Fuel surcharge will be reduced to $54 from $60 per sector on all other flights.

The airline said it will continue to monitor the price of jet fuel and regularly review the level of surcharge.

source: Forbes

Delta Airlines, attempting to increase its share of lucrative international corporate travel, announced a new round of expansion to emerging markets, including flights to Dubai and to Bucharest, Romania, while laying the groundwork for future expansion to Asia.

source: The Wall Street Journal

Click Mexicana, Grupo Mexicana’s first low-cost carrier in Mexico, announced the beginning of its services between Los Angeles and Las Vegas to Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico. The airline is currently the first low-cost Mexican carrier to offer service outside the Republic.

“We are proud to provide our U.S. customers with this new destination,” said Isaac Volin, CEO, of Click Mexicana. “During its first year of operation, Click Mexicana achieved our goal of fulfilling traveler’s needs and expectations, resulting in high levels of satisfaction when it comes to price and service,” he added.

source: Yahoo! finance

A single-engine plane carrying Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle smashed into a high-rise building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan yesterday, killing Lidle and his flight instructor, authorities said.The afternoon crash beneath overcast skies sent debris clattering hundreds of feet to the sidewalk and started a fire that destroyed several apartments and left a charred smudge on the face of the building.

source: Berkshire Eagle

Startup airline Virgin America Inc. said Wednesday it signed deals with several major entertainment companies to show movies during flights.

Virgin America executives said they have agreements with Walt Disney Co., Fox, Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers. The airline, based in Burlingame, said it will offer pay-per-view movies, live TV programming, a broad music playlist and a selection of video games to each passenger.

source: SF Business Times

Delta Air Lines Inc. said Tuesday it planned to begin introducing lie-flat seats in business class in 2008 as the bankrupt carrier works to lure high-end international travelers.

“We think (the new seats along with improved food, wine, and in-flight entertainment features) will attract more premium customers,” said Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton.

In-flight amenities have become a hot battleground, especially for Delta and other traditional U.S. airlines, which are expanding international routes in the face of intense competition domestically from low-cost carriers. But this in turn has created an arms race for cabin comforts.

source: CNN