news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Europe’s leading LCC, Ryanair, looks set to continue its expansion in Italy as LCC capacity share (a good indicator of market share) growth generally in Europe has tailed off during the last three years. Alitalia has meanwhile announced it is considering transforming Air One, the local rival it merged with in Dec-2008, into an LCC, in response to intense competition.

Traditionally ‘big business’ regions for the LCCs such as Poland and the eastern Baltic – boosted by migrant workers – are no longer growing, and even potentially contracting. Slovakia’s SkyEurope, currently in bankruptcy protection, is one airline to have been affected. With its fleet halved early in 2009 (though some new aircraft have since been added on lease agreements) its passenger traffic was down by over 37% in Jul-09.

source: centreforaviation.com

Spanish airline Vueling annouced that July passenger traffic topped 1 million for the first time after the group’s merger with Iberia’s low-cost subsidiary Clickair.

Passenger traffic in July rose 79.8 percent from a year earlier to 1.12 million, while load factor, which measures how full its planes fly, rose 0.6 percentage points to 77.9 percent

source: Reuters

Two workers syndicates that operate two airlines in Spain, Easyjet and Spanair have announced plans for strike action this August in protest against senior management in both companies. Apparently the Easyjet strike will affect flights, but not the Spanair one.

The two workers unions based in Spain announced they call for 24-hour strike action of all Easyjet maintenance staff in Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante and Tenerife on August 15, 22 and 29.

source: euroweeklynews.com

Airline fans have the chance to name some of Vueling’s incoming A320s, which are joining its fleet following the merger with clickair. The winner of the best idea will be awarded with a trip to the hangar where the chosen name will be painted on the new livery.

Vueling  launched a Europe-wide contest inviting its fans to name five of Vueling’s 18 incoming planes using new social network outlets. These aircraft have  joined Vueling’s all-A320 fleet, which now stands at 35 aircraft, after its  merger with clickair was ratified on July 15th.

source: Boarding.no

Ryanair is to cut 670 flights a week, close ten routes and reduce frequency on a further 30 routes in the biggest winter shake-up for the airline so far.

The low-cost carrier refused to specify which routes would be affected. It will move some operations from its largest base, at Stansted, Essex, to Spain, which is abolishing airport landing fees this winter to try to keep tourist numbers up. Greece has also eliminated landing fees and airports around Europe are understood to be arranging discounts with airlines to keep services operating.

source: Times Online

A high-profile campaign has been launched in a bid to see Liverpool twinned with the Spanish holiday resort of Malaga.

And after ten years of flying between the two destinations, easyJet is spearheading the calls for Liverpool to become the first UK city to officially twin with the gem of Andalusia.

Like Liverpool, Malaga is a busy port which has re-invented itself over recent years to become a busy, cosmopolitan city with an exciting and multi faceted cultural scene – not to mention attracting thousands of tourists (or ‘guiris’ as they say in Malaga) each year.

source: clickliverpool.com

Italy’s civil aviation authority grounded low cost airline MyAir on Wednesday, saying months of financial troubles made the company’s service unreliable.

The Italian authority, know by the acronym ENAC, said it suspended MyAir’s license to fly effective at midnight Friday.

The airline based in Vicenza, northern Italy, flew from Italian cities to airports across Europe, as well as Morocco and Turkey.

source: MSNBC

The no-frills airline, renowned for its “‘hidden charges’”, was referred to the OFT following a number of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Ryanair has promised to give greater prominence to information regarding “optional” charges, such as those for checking in luggage, and will provide clearer information on its promotions and low price guarantee.

“‘We welcome Ryanair’s action which we believe will make it easier for consumers to access the information they need when choosing low cost flights’,” said Mike Haley, the OFT’s director of consumer markets.

source: Telegraph.co.uk

SkyEurope Airline AS, a Central European discount airline, said Monday it was granted protection from creditors by a court in the Slovak capital.

The company said in a statement it had asked for the ruling from Bratislava I District Court so it could carry out a reorganization plan to make the company more attractive for potential investors.

Slovak law allows companies up to nine and half months to complete reorganization under protection.

source: Forbes