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Individually, airlines are finding it hard to stay viable, let alone turn a profit. For smaller airlines trying to bill themselves as budget, cooperation may be the solution in creating a wider distribution of resources and lowering operating costs. Flyholding, the holding company of MyAir.com, and SkyEurope Holding announced Oct. 15 a cooperation agreement that would boost their standings in Europe’s budget airline industry.

MyAir.com has entered a protocol agreement with Bratislava-based SkyEurope Airlines for an operating partnership that is an example of a new trend in strategic alliances. MyAir.com said it hopes the partnership will streamline operations and cut costs by taking advantage of the economies of scale on the market in which both airlines currently operate. With largely complementary networks, the partnership will also bring additional destinations to customers in their major hubs.

source: The Prague Post

Italian low-cost airline MyAir, which has been operating on the domestic market for around two years, plans to introduce some internal flights next year, being the first foreign airline to announce such intentions.

In the wake of EU integration and owing to the “open sky” regulation, foreign companies will be allowed to operate flights on any destinations inside the EU.

Thus, whereas so far an Italian airline could only operate flights from or to Italy, the “open sky” regulation will allow it to operate flights between any of the EU member states, as well as internal flights.

Four low-cost companies had already declared their intention to start flying to Bulgaria after January 1 2007 when the country joins the EU and the aviation market will be liberalised.

Italian Myair announced on October 10 that it would fly from Sofia to Bologne. Irelandâ??s Ryanair, the UKâ??s Easy Jet and Germanyâ??s GermanWings already presented a flight schedule to Sofia airport, Dnevnik said. A number of air companies have applied to fly to Bulgariaâ??s Bourgas airport.

source: Sofia Echo