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OpenSkies, the new airline launched by British Airways to operate direct services from Europe to the US, intends to launch its first services on the route between Paris and New York JFK.

The airline has this week applied to the US authorities for approval for the services and says it intends to launch the new flights in June.

In documents filed with the US Department of Transportation, the airline says it intends to expand its services to connect Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Milan with New York as well as other US points.

source: Times On Line

Some 146 flights at Milan’s airports were cancelled on Tuesday when ground staff went on strike to protest against Alitalia’s plans to scale back its presence in northern Italy.

Airport sources said 102 flights were cancelled at Malpensa airport, one of Alitalia’s two hubs, and 44 at Linate, Milan’s smaller airport, during the four-hour stoppage.

source: Reuters

SkyTeam and BAA have outlined their plans to make London Heathrow Terminal 4 a dedicated terminal for the 10 SkyTeam alliance members.

A £100 million expansion and renovation of T4 will be completed in spring 2009.

SkyTeam’s move to T4 will take effect over the next 12 months.

source: Travelmole

BA’s performance deteriorated in 2007, with a larger proportion of bags failing to reach destinations with their owners.

BA mislaid 26.5 bags for every 1,000 passengers it carried last year, compared to 23 in 2006, the Association of European Airlines. (AEA) reports.

fuente: Telegraph.co.uk

Iberia, Spain’s flagship airline, plans to bid for Spanair, an ailing unit of Scandinavia’s SAS AB, the Spanish carrier said in a statement Thursday.

Iberia said in a regulatory filing that it planed to launch the bid in partnership with local Spanish transport company Gestair. Market analysts estimated Spanair’s worth could be around €800 million (US$1.17 billion).

If successful, a takeover of the country’s second-largest carrier would give Iberia a tighter grip on domestic flights, currently under siege from local and international low-cost airlines.

source: International Herald Tribune

Discount carrier JetBlue Airways Corp. said it will expand its service from the West Coast on May 21 by launching transcontinental flights from Los Angeles International Airport and adding new flights from its existing airports in Southern California.

source: The Wall Street Journal

Ryanair will invest $140m in 2 new aircraft to operate 12 routes from its new base in Reus near Barcelona.

Reus is the budget airline’s 26th European and fifth Spanish base.

“‘Ryanair will now develop the region’s massive untapped potential by giving the tourism industry year round low fare access to Europe’s largest cities,’” said chief executive Michael O’Leary.

source: Sharecast

New York-based JetBlue Airways will add its first international service from Florida next month with the launch of daily nonstop service from Orlando to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (starts March 6).

JetBlue will also add a second daily nonstop flight between Orlando and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, beginning May 1. This summer, the airline will offer Orlando travelers a total of six daily nonstop flights to Puerto Rico, including three to San Juan, two to Aguadilla, and one to Ponce.

source: caribbeannetnews.com

Zoom Airlines, the leading low-fare transatlantic airline, has announced that it will be operating a new route from London Gatwick to San Diego in Southern California for summer 2008.

From June this year, Zoom will offer the only direct non-stop air service between Europe and San Diego when flights linking London with the southern Californian city are introduced.

source: Easier

French air traffic controllers started a five-day strike Monday that immediately forced the cancellation of several flights, mainly at Paris-Orly airport.

France’s General Directorate for Civil Aviation (DGAC) said one flight in two has been cancelled at Orly and there were average delays of two hours, which could increase during the day, according to spokesman Patrick Gandil.

At the main Paris airport Charles de Gaulle, operations were relatively normal with only half-hour delays reported on some flights, the DGAC said.

source: Inquirer.net