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The number of international passengers arriving in Spain with low-cost airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair during August jumped 13.2 percent from last year, government figures showed on Friday.

Spain’s crowded no-frills airline market accounted for nearly a third of flights into the country during the peak travel month.

The figures showed 1.8 million visitors traveled to Spain in August in flights operated by low-cost airlines — 30.2 percent of all international passengers.

Britain’s easyJet flew the most passengers, followed by Ireland’s Ryanair and Germany’s Air Berlin. Unlisted Spanish airline Vueling, a low-cost start-up that began flying in July 2004, was ranked fifth.

source: Airwise

Lufthansa, Europe’s No. 2 airline, plans to order 35 aircraft valued at as much as $3.12 billion from Airbus, expanding the fleet to meet growing competition. The carrier plans a second purchase later this year.

The airline will buy five A319 models, 10 A320s and 15 A321s for short-haul services and five A330-300s for long-distance routes, with deliveries starting next year, Cologne, Germany-based Lufthansa said in a statement Wednesday. The carrier also plans to take an option for 30 additional A320-series aircraft and is still in talks about a long-haul plane order.

Lufthansa added routes and cut prices in Europe this year to counter low-cost carriers such as Dublin, Ireland-based Ryanair. The German airline has bought rivals and arranged routes to encourage connecting traffic through three hubs in central Europe, even as competitor Air France-KLM Group grows faster and wins trans-Atlantic market share.

source: Seattlepi.com

Ryanair, Europe’s leading low cost airline, is intensifying the competitive battle in the German aviation market by opening a second German base at Bremen.The Irish airline is also investing â?¬10m to buy a low cost terminal facility at Bremen airport after emerging as the successful bidder in an EU tender. This is the second time that Ryanair has decided to invest in local airport facilities. It agreed last year to participate directly in financing the expansion of Frankfurt-Hahn airport by providing a â?¬12.5m loan to fund 50 per cent of the capital expenditure on a new passenger terminal at the airport.

source: msn.com

As summer turns into fall, it’s time to enjoy a bit of old Germany with freshly stuffed sausages, wiener schnitzel and lederhosen at the 19th annual Irondequoit Oktoberfest.The festival, which starts Sept. 15, will offer plenty of German music, dance and food over the next two weekends at Durand-Eastman Park’s Camp Eastman on Lake Shore Boulevard in Irondequoit.

source: democratandchronicle.com

The comments come after Airbus board member Mike Turner, also chief executive of BAE Systems PLC (BA.LN), which owns 20% of Airbus, said the superjumbo could face further delays beyond the one-year lag already announced.

Airbus’s new chief executive, Christian Streiff, is conducting an internal study of the company’s programs and production systems. He plans to make public the results of his analysis later this month.

SIA spokesman Stephen Forshaw said the carrier, which has ordered 19 A380s and expects to be the first airline to take delivery of the plane, hasn’t been informed of a new delay.

source: marketwatch.com

Business travellers remain king with the airlines.Throughout the industry, carriers continue to invest millions of dollars in cabin services and airport lounges that offer everything from high-end food and beverages, wireless workstations, luxury spa facilities, phone-free zones, fitness/gym rooms and valet services.

Recently, both American Airlines and Chile’s LAN Airlines announced enhancements to their long-haul business-class service. WestJet Airlines has made a move to appeal to business travellers by offering for-fee guest lounges in airports across Canada. The competition is fierce among airlines trying to woo those high-end passengers.

source: TheStar.com

Shares in tour operator MyTravel tumbled 8% today after it warned that profits would be hit by the recent UK security alert and attacks in Turkey and Jordan.MyTravel, which owns Going Places travel agencies and also has an aviation division, said it expects pre-tax profit for the full year to come in at £40-45m on operating profit of £55-60m. This compares to initial expectations of operating profits of £75-£85m.

MyTravel said UK winter trading had started slowly and was also affected by security concerns. Winter charter holiday bookings are down 11% on 10% less capacity.

source: Guardian Unlimited

As many as five companies have applied for licences to launch new airlines in the country, Civil Aviation Secretary Ajay Prasad said on Wednesday.

While decision to grant them operating licenses have not yet been taken, new guidelines would be in place in the proposed Civil Aviation Policy, he told reporters on the sidelines of the Indo-US Economic Summit in New Delhi.

Under the existing guidelines, a new airline has to have a fleet of five aircraft and an equity capital of at least Rs 30 crore, among other things, to get a scheduled operator license allowing them to operate in the domestic sector with a published timetable.

source: Hindustan Times

European airlines and the European Union’s justice and security commissioner said on Wednesday they opposed any attempt to ban passengers from carrying all forms of liquids on flights.

EU security experts were meeting on Wednesday and Thursday to make recommendations after Britain said on August 10 it had foiled a plot to blow up U.S.-bound trans-atlantic airliners. Officials said the plot involved homemade liquid explosives.

Any change to the rules on the transport of goods on flights would be decided by the European Commission as a whole after the security experts made their recommendations, said a Commission official.

source: scotsman.com

Southwest Airlines Co said it flew 6.2 bln revenue passenger miles in August, up 10 pct from the same month last year, while the load factor for the month rose to 77.1 pct from 76.1 pct a year ago.

The airline said available seat miles increased 8.5 pct to 8.1 bln in August from 7.5 bln a year ago.

source: Forbes