Aer Arann today launched a new service from Galway to Newcastle.
The flights will operate four days a week. departing Galway at 6.30pm on Monday, Thursday and Friday and 7.15pm on Sunday. The return flight will depart Newcastle at 8.25pm on Monday, Thursday and Friday and 9.10pm on Sunday with a flight time of one hour and 25 minutes.
source: IrishExaminer.com
British billionaire Richard Branson of Virgin Group is touted to be taking a stake in Malaysia’s new AirAsia long-haul budget airline.
Branson will take a 20 pct stake in Fly Asian Express (FAX), teaming up with Asia’s aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes to run flights from Malaysia to China, Europe and Australia, the newspaper reported, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
source: Forbes
The airline will allow the use of GSM-based cellular phones on its Airbus fleet after getting approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). GSM is a digital wireless mobile telephony system widely used in the world.
The approval is the first of its kind. Officials of Airbus claim this could open similar services for flights in other countries.
source: NewsPost
The new daily service between London Luton and Vienna commences on 29 October and is the first time the airline has entered the Austria market, which is expected to be particularly popular as a year round city break destination as well as a ski gateway in the winter.
source: Boarding.no
Airline manufacturers should aim for 40% cuts in C02 emissions from present levels thanks to new technology available by 2015, the European Commission said Wednesday.
The ambitious target is part of the commission’s campaign against climate change and its recently announced EUR1.6 billion
public-private “‘Clean Sky'” plan to help the air transport industry develop environmentally friendly technology for planes.
Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik announced the emission-cut goals at the Le Bourget Air Show, the commission said in a statement.
In addition to the 40% cut in CO2, the commission said it was aiming for a 60% cut in Nitrogen Oxide emissions and a 50% reduction in noise. The aviation industry accounts for 4% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, the commission said.
source: CNN
Spanish travel firm Marsans is looking at floating its Aerolineas Argentinas airline unit to help finance its eventual purchase of Spanish airline Spanair.
A spokesman said Aerolineas would likely come to market at the end of 2007 or early in 2008.
source: Reuters
Cabin staff working for KLM, the Dutch unit of Air France-KLM, have rejected the airline’s final offer in a dispute over their general workers agreement, the FNV Bondgenoten union said.
The union claims that cabin staff are overworked due to past cost-cutting measures and says KLM’s latest offer has not addressed the situation to their satisfaction.
An ultimatum will be issued next week and the union said that if its demands are not met, strikes may be called in the first labour action ever taken by cabin personnel.
source: hemscott.com
Chicago, which already loved the hot dogs, seems to have warmed up to the original Vienna.
Austrian Airlines’ non-stop service between O’Hare and this classic European city, just launched May 29, is already maintaining an 80 percent flight load, airline officials said at a news conference Wednesday in the Drake Hotel.
“Even from the start, it was a very good load,” said Rudolf Mertl, executive vice president of network and sales. “It normally takes a little bit longer.”
Austrian Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, flies daily non-stops except Mondays between the two cities. Summer fares average about $1,100.
Flybe, Europe’s biggest regional airline, today announces plans to increase its daily service from Southampton to Manchester from six to seven flights a day, as well as deploying the Embraer 195 on at least half of these services, increasing capacity by 40%.
Flybe has been operating on this route since 2004 and with fares starting at just £27.99 one way including taxes and charges and is responding to consumer demand since it lowered fares in the aftermath of its takeover of the high-price BA Connect.
source: Easier
Even the winter holiday travel nightmares could not diminish JetBlue’s overall reputation among its peers. The J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Airline Satisfaction Study survey ranks Jet Blue the leading low-cost carrier for the third year in a row.
Continental Airlines holds the top-ranked slot among traditional carriers for the second consecutive year.
The survey measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance in cost and fees; flight crew; in-flight services; aircraft; boarding/deplaning/baggage; check-in and reservations.
