news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

The pilot who failed an alcohol breath test before attempting to fly a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to JFK airport has been cleared.

The 47-year-old, whose identity has not been released, was stopped by police as he attempted to board the plane on March 31st, resulting in an hour-long delay as the airline sought to find an alternative pilot.

Now it has emerged that the pilot’s diet, which caused him to create unusually high acetone levels, issued a false positive on the breathalyser test which resulted in his being arrested under a section of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. Subsequent blood tests revealed he was safe to fly.

source: clickajob.co.uk

Chilean airline LAN will spend 2.6 billion U.S. dollars over the next five years on 52 new aircraft, company president Jorge Awad said on Friday.

The company will fund part of the purchase with a 320-million-dollar offering of 22 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange, Awad told a press conference at the end of the company’s board meeting.

The planned purchases are 36 Airbus A320, four Airbus A340 and eight Boeing 767-300 for passengers, and four Boeing 777 for freight.

source: People.com.cn

Love it or hate it, the brand name Air India is most likely to be retained for the new mega carrier government is going to create by merging AI and Indian Airlines. Ditto for the Maharaja which is going to remain the mascot.

Accenture, the consultant appointed to handle the merger process, has submitted its report to the civil aviation ministry and is learnt to have suggested that AI enjoys a very strong brand recall across the world and this name should stay.

“‘We may have to retain AI as the brand name for the merged airline because of several reasons. The popular international codename AI can be retained only if the name stays. Although a final decision would be taken by mid-April, it’s most likely that AI will remain,'” said a source in the ministry.

source: Times of India

The Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia yesterday announced a three-year partnership with the British Formula One team AT&T Williams.

In addition to Manchester United, in fact, the Malaysian carrier has chosen to win new markets through the sports world.

The airline brand will be displayed on the helmets of Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz, and on the nose of the cars.

source: Avionews

Hungarian ground crews at Budapest’s Ferihegy International airport went on strike Thursday to support demands for higher pay.

It was the third strike in just over one week, airport officials said.

The strike of the ground service crews, who belong to an independent trade union of air traffic employees, is scheduled to last until Saturday, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported.

source: postchronicle.com

The European Commission has stepped up efforts to protect air passengers facing delays and cancellations, giving airlines and EU member states a six month ultimatum to fall in line with EU law or face legal action.

“‘We must make sure that airlines and member states fully comply with their obligations,'” EU transport commissioner Jacques Barrot said on Wednesday (4 April), stressing “‘the commission will give them six months to make the air passengers regulation work.'”

The legislation – meant to protect passengers in cases of denied boarding, cancellations, long delays and involuntary downgrading – came into force two years ago but airlines keep dragging their feet on implementation.

source: BusinessWeek

Air Canada will become the official airline of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the airline and the Vancouver organizing committee announced Thursday.

The six-year partnership also includes sponsorship rights and transportation for Canadian Olympic teams to next year’s summer games in Beijing and the 2012 London Olympics.

“‘All of us at Air Canada are honoured to support the Olympic and Paralympic spirit,'” Air Canada president and CEO Montie Brewer said in a news release.

source: CBC News

Zoom Airlines has expanded its schedule of flights from Glasgow Airport.

The low-cost airline has introduced an additional weekly flight from Glasgow to Toronto which increases the frequency on the route to two a week.

In March 2004, Zoom began offering flights to Vancouver and Toronto in the winter after a successful summer season.

source: eveningtimes.co.uk

Wizz Air, the largest low fare-low cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe carried six million passengers since its May 2004 launch, the airline has announced on Tuesday.

Within one year the carrier has doubled its passenger numbers and has outperformed its competitors.

The airline has targeted to carry the next one million passengers within only three months.

source: Porfolio.hu

Brazil’s civil aviation authority said on Wednesday that it gave low-cost airline Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes the green light to buy rival air carrier Varig.

The National Civil Aviation Agency or ANAC said it gave Gol “advance authorization” for the deal. Gol now still requires approval from Brazil’s anti-trust agency Cade, ANAC said in an on-line statement.

source: Reuters