news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

AirCell has announced early details about AirCell broadband for business aviation. AirCell broadband is an exclusive new highspeed data system set for release early next year.

AirCell broadband will offer business aircraft operators true high-speed connectivity at a cost, weight, and complexity that is substantially lower than any system available now or in the foreseeable future. It is based on the same proven technology that drives the newest generation of ground-based mobile wireless devices.

source: shephard.co.uk

Flights between London and New York could be a third cheaper following the Open Skies Agreement struck by regulators in the US and Europe. The deal, announced last month, throws open the door on unlimited airline competition for flights between Europe and the US from March 2008. Its effects are already being felt as speculation mounts about a takeover offer for BMI.

Deregulation of transatlantic flights will trigger a fierce marketing battle on business routes from Heathrow to New York. Meanwhile, small operators will line up to launch a new round of leisure services from London to US cities and prices will be pushed down. The established players will not take this lying down.

However, observers say that deregulated Open Skies across the Atlantic are unlikely to lead to the sort of rock-bottom prices seen in Europe from no-frills operators such as Ryanair and easyJet, triggered by the deregulation of European airspace in the early 1990s.

source: Marketing Week

A man hijacked a Turkish airliner carrying 180 passengers and crew on Tuesday but gave himself up to authorities after it landed in Ankara.

Anti-terrorist police took the man away from the jet at Ankara airport, the Anatolia news agency said.

News reports said the man had wanted the plane to go to Iran.

source: turkishpress.com

American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, says it can boost revenue by $94 million a year by tailoring some of its services to the growing number of women travelers.

The airline, a unit of AMR Corp., this week unveiled a version of its Web site for women (http://www.aa.com/women). The site aims to increase the number of women booking flights on American by 2 percent or more, said an AMR executive on Tuesday.

source: Reuters

The pilot who failed an alcohol breath test before attempting to fly a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to JFK airport has been cleared.

The 47-year-old, whose identity has not been released, was stopped by police as he attempted to board the plane on March 31st, resulting in an hour-long delay as the airline sought to find an alternative pilot.

Now it has emerged that the pilot’s diet, which caused him to create unusually high acetone levels, issued a false positive on the breathalyser test which resulted in his being arrested under a section of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. Subsequent blood tests revealed he was safe to fly.

source: clickajob.co.uk

Chilean airline LAN will spend 2.6 billion U.S. dollars over the next five years on 52 new aircraft, company president Jorge Awad said on Friday.

The company will fund part of the purchase with a 320-million-dollar offering of 22 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange, Awad told a press conference at the end of the company’s board meeting.

The planned purchases are 36 Airbus A320, four Airbus A340 and eight Boeing 767-300 for passengers, and four Boeing 777 for freight.

source: People.com.cn

Love it or hate it, the brand name Air India is most likely to be retained for the new mega carrier government is going to create by merging AI and Indian Airlines. Ditto for the Maharaja which is going to remain the mascot.

Accenture, the consultant appointed to handle the merger process, has submitted its report to the civil aviation ministry and is learnt to have suggested that AI enjoys a very strong brand recall across the world and this name should stay.

“‘We may have to retain AI as the brand name for the merged airline because of several reasons. The popular international codename AI can be retained only if the name stays. Although a final decision would be taken by mid-April, it’s most likely that AI will remain,'” said a source in the ministry.

source: Times of India

The Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia yesterday announced a three-year partnership with the British Formula One team AT&T Williams.

In addition to Manchester United, in fact, the Malaysian carrier has chosen to win new markets through the sports world.

The airline brand will be displayed on the helmets of Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz, and on the nose of the cars.

source: Avionews

The European Commission has stepped up efforts to protect air passengers facing delays and cancellations, giving airlines and EU member states a six month ultimatum to fall in line with EU law or face legal action.

“‘We must make sure that airlines and member states fully comply with their obligations,'” EU transport commissioner Jacques Barrot said on Wednesday (4 April), stressing “‘the commission will give them six months to make the air passengers regulation work.'”

The legislation – meant to protect passengers in cases of denied boarding, cancellations, long delays and involuntary downgrading – came into force two years ago but airlines keep dragging their feet on implementation.

source: BusinessWeek

Air Canada will become the official airline of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the airline and the Vancouver organizing committee announced Thursday.

The six-year partnership also includes sponsorship rights and transportation for Canadian Olympic teams to next year’s summer games in Beijing and the 2012 London Olympics.

“‘All of us at Air Canada are honoured to support the Olympic and Paralympic spirit,'” Air Canada president and CEO Montie Brewer said in a news release.

source: CBC News