EasyJet has announced an annual programme for passengers wanting to use its Speedy Boarding priority system on a regular basis.
Called easyJet Plus, it allows passengers to be among the first to board by showing a credit-card sized membership card at the gate without the need to pre-book. The card will be popular among business travellers who like to get a seat close to the front of the aircraft.
source: Times On Line
Norwegian, a low-cost airline operating out of Scandinavia, will soon begin operating direct flights to Dubai. The airline announced the new route at the end of February, saying it would be the first budget airline to fly from Europe to Dubai, reports Gulf News.
Flights from Oslo and Stockholm to Dubai will take off for the first time on October 26th 2008. The new service will contribute to a growing number of links between Scandinavia and the Middle East.
source: IceNews
The biggest danger facing the airline industry is the global oil price, easyJet warned today, after it released strong passenger numbers.
The no-frills carrier said the passenger load factor, or proportion of seats sold per flight, was 84.6% in February compared with 82.8% for the same month last year. Passenger numbers, driven by the airline’s acquisition of more jets, rose by nearly a quarter to 3.2 million.
source: Guardian.co.uk
Centralwings, the low-cost airline owned by LOT flag carrier had PLN 73m of EBIT loss in 2007, up from PLN 65m a year earlier.
“‘This was supposed to be our last year in the red. We estimated that the losses would amount to PLN 35m. Unfortunately, market conditions deteriorated substantially and our costs grew by 13.4 percent’â€, Waldemar Krolikowski, Centralwings CEO explained.
He pointed out that the market is consolidating. Irish Ryanair has acquired AirLingus. In Germany, the consolidation of Eurowings, Germanwings and TUI has already started. The CEO believes that Centralwings won’t be able to operate alone.
source: pb.pl
Germany’s leisure airline sector could be set for a major consolidation with Germanwings, Eurowings and TUIfly discussing a merger. If completed, the deal would create a group with a combined fleet of more than 100 aircraft and a network of about 185 destinations.
TUI Travel confirms it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lufthansa and Eurowings majority shareholder Albrecht Knauf concerning the merger, but little else has been revealed.
The airlines will be brought together under a joint independent holding company in the proposed deal, but the companies stress that the process is at an “‘early stage'” and there is “‘no guarantee'” it will lead to an integrated airline group.
fuente: flightglobal.com
Vueling, the new-generation airline, culminates its most ambitious Ibiza programme ever, by linking theisland with eight destinations in Spain, France, and Italy. Overall, Vueling puts on sale more that 430,000 seats in order to fly between March and October.From May 30th to September 21st, the company will base one Airbus A-320 at Ibiza airport. This will reinforce the Barcelona and Valencia routes and will allow three new destinations: Seville, Bilbao, and Alicante.
source: traveldailynews.com
Wizz Air, the largest CEE based low fare-low cost airline has announced the launch of its first domestic service in Romania with flights between Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca with 4 weekly frequencies. This is the only domestic flight operated by low cost company in Romania.
source: portfolio.hu
Low fares airline Jet2.com which is based at Leeds Bradford airport has admitted that passenger numbers in the winter have been disappointing.
Jet2, a subsidiary of Dart Group, has seen its share price plummet from more than 130p a year ago to just 27.5p now. Parent company Dart has issued a trading statement ahead of its full year results on 31 March.
source: holidayextras.co.uk
Ryanair Holdings PLC said it has agreed to set-up its second Scottish base at Edinburgh airport.
The Irish airline, which counts Edinburgh as its 27th European base, has said it will base two new Boeing Co 737-800 aircraft at the airport.
It will serve 19 routes to and from the Scottish capital. The low-fares carrier already operates services to and from Scotland’s Glasgow Prestwick airport.
source: CNN
Airports in France recorded a 4.9 pct gain in passenger traffic last year, thanks to low-cost carriers and international operations, the French airport association UAF reported.
”We have a right to be satisfied with what has happened and believe it will continue,” UAF head Claude Terrazzoni told at a press conference.
French airports handled 153.8 mln passengers in 2007, of whom 86.3 mln came through Paris.
source: Forbes
