Silverjet, the British luxury airline, touched down this morning at the Executive Terminal of Dubai International Airport, marking the first time a commercial carrier has been granted access to the airports private aviation facilities and the first airline of its kind to fly to the Emirate.
source: albawaba.com
In an initial protest against their employment conditions, Israir’s flight attendants declared a labor dispute over the weekend against the management of the company, demanding a collective employment contract in place of the current individual agreement on which they are now signed. The Histadrut will mediate between the workers and the management.
“‘The cabin attendants will not be satisfied with a contract that is worth less than the collective agreement the El Al air workers achieved and as the Arkia workers are about to sign,'” Raz Bahar, an Israir stewardess and the chairwoman of the workers’ committee, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
Representatives from the Transportation Ministry and a number of Indonesian airlines have pledged to improve aviation security and services to meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), in a move that may aid the country’s efforts to end the EU ban on Indonesian air carriers.
Indonesian airlines were banned by the EU on July 6 this year due to alleged poor service and failure to ensure flight safety and operational security.
source: The Jakarta Post
The European Commission said it intends to simplify computerised reservations systems (CRS) in the airline ticket distribution market to boost competition.
The commission said it adopted a proposal for simplification which will reduce booking fees charged by the reservation systems and enable airlines to offer more travel options through CRSs.
The proposal will also bring pricing freedom into the CRS market, the commission said.
”More competition in this market means lower distribution costs and airlines offering more travel options via the CRSs,” commission vice-president Jacques Barrot said in a statement.
source: Forbes
Greek Tourism Development Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos on Tuesday met in London with Ryanair’s deputy CEO for talks on ways to lure the pioneering low-cost airline to the Greek market.
Speaking to reporters in the British capital on the sidelines of the World Travel Market trade fair, the Greek minister said negotiations were currently underway to attract low-cost airline carriers to Greece, while he underlined the importance of high-quality services in the tourism sector.
source: Ana.gr
Budget airline Flybe would consider a flotation late next year or early in 2009, its chief executive said on Monday.
Jim French told reporters the carrier would first want to complete the integration of BA Connect, which it bought from British Airways a year ago, as well as its substitution programme of replacing the BA Connect fleet with new planes.
source: Reuters
At least 200 European airline websites are misleading the consumer, a study by the European Commission has found.
Websites are failing to show taxes and charges, and refusing to advertise the lowest fare prominently, according to the report.
The Commission has refused to name any airlines involved in order to give them time to improve their service.
Last month, a Spanish watchdog said it had found misleading information on seven websites, including Ryanair.
source: BBC News
Travel agents have hit back after Ryanair referred to them as the “‘greatest deadwood'” and “‘the costliest parasites in the travel industry'”.
The low-cost airline spoke out over the news that easyJet had signed deals with global distribution systems Amadeus and Galileo in a bid to target more corporate customers.
Ryanair head of communications Peter Sherrard said: “‘EasyJet has signed a deal [allowing] travel agents, the costliest parasites in the travel industry, [to book its flights].'”
source: travelweekly.co.uk
Low-fare bigshot Southwest Airlines is making some big changes.
In a move to attract the more lucrative class of business travelers, Southwest is putting a higher fare structure in place today, offering perks for passengers willing to pay more.
Southwest said its new “‘business select'” fare will offer the ability to board first, additional credits for frequent fliers and a cocktail on the house.
The airline said it expects to make at least $100 million a year more with the change.
source: Chron.com
British Airways was the worst airline for lost bags and delays over the busy summer period. British Airways performed worse than any other major European airline, with more than two in five flights running late, according to figures released yesterday.
source: Telegraph.co.uk
