Flybe, one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines, has announced the introduction of a shuttle style service between both Birmingham and Edinburgh and Birmingham and Glasgow which is to be launched upon successful completion of the BA Connect acquisition.
source: Easier
Air France-KLM Chief Executive Jean-Cyril Spinetta said Thursday the airline recently began talks with Alitalia SpA that may lead to the opening of merger discussions.
Spinetta said merger talks will go ahead on three conditions: a confirmation of Alitalia’s financial turnaround, the assurance that both companies share a strategic vision and the determination of potential synergies from a merger.
source: MSN
The European Commission yesterday gave the green light to a scheme launched by the government last July subsidising a number of new air routes to and from Malta.
Ryanair, which started operating scheduled flights from Luton and Pisa at the end of last month, was the first airline to benefit from the scheme.
The Commission said it has decided to allow Malta to grant start-up aid for new air routes from Malta International Airport.
source: Times of Malta
U.S. airlines are pulling out of their financial tailspin but most are not paying close enough attention to customer service, especially when it comes to providing useful information on delays and cancellations, a government watchdog reported on Wednesday.
Additionally, the Transportation Department is doing a better job of overseeing consumer protection issues, including civil rights complaints. But the agency almost always forgives fines or other penalties if the airline agrees to correct the problem, and there is little or no follow-up, the agency’s inspector general, Calvin Scovel III, said in his report.
source: Reuters
Iberia will start flying daily between Madrid and Gibraltar on December 16th. The new schedule flight will leave Madrid Barajas airport at 11:50 a.m. and will arrive at Gibraltar at 13:00. The return flight will be at 13:50, while it will land at Madrid at 15:00. From there, passengers will be able to fly to the other Iberia’s Spanish and international destinations.
source: touristikpresse.net
The Company has reviewed its guidance to account for the negative impacts of the recent problems with the air traffic in Brazil. As a consequence, GOL’s net revenues are expected to be reduced due to a higher number of delayed and cancelled flights. Such scenario has inhibited passengers to fly, impacting industry demand in the short term. Also, expenses should register variations due to a reduction in the effective flight hours, as well as an increase in the travel time as a result of longer periods to take off and lower flight speed. Those factors contribute to lower dilution of fixed costs and higher fuel consumption.
source: earthtimes.org
Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines has told Delta Air Lines and US Airways Group it would buy any assets they sell if they merged, according to a report Monday.US Airways made an unwanted $8 billion bid for Delta last week. Delta, which has operated under bankruptcy protection since September 2005, said it aims to emerge from Chapter 11 as a standalone airline.
Southwest wants to buy any aircraft and airport gates put up for sale, especially on the East Coast, and it has told Delta and US Airways of its interest.
source: CNN
Rome’s second-largest airport, Ciampino, briefly closed early on Tuesday following an anonymous phone call claiming that a bomb was on board a cargo plane, airport officials said.
Inspections of aircraft found no evidence of a bomb and Ciampino was reopened about an hour later, officials said. Six flights had been rerouted east to the city of Pescara.
Ciampino Airport is primarily used by low-cost airlines, charter flights and private aircraft. It is also the closest to central Rome.
source: Airwise
Southwest Airlines will add twice-daily nonstop service between San Diego and Reno/Lake Tahoe beginning March 11, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (SDCRAA) announced today.
The flights will be on a Boeing 737 aircraft with 137 seats, according to the SDCRAA.
A Norwegian airline on Friday said it will sue a unit of Scandinavian Airlines Systems in civil court for allegedly stealing trade secrets.
Norwegian Air Shuttle said it wants “hundreds of millions of kroner” – or tens of millions of euros (dollars) – from SAS Braathens for allegedly misusing information received by e-mail and through a booking system about its rival’s business strategy.
source: Chron.com
