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bmi regional named UK’s most punctual scheduled airline again

16 December 2014

AIRLINE BEATS BRITISH AIRWAYS CITYFLYER, EASYJET, RYANAIR AND FLYBE TO TOP SPOT

bmi regional has topped the list of the most punctual scheduled airlines in the UK again, according to the most recent data, with the fast-growing airline now holding the position of the UK’s most punctual airline into the tenth consecutive year.

The latest figures for 2014 have just been released, using punctuality statistics for 35 airlines operating in the UK. The official data, from website www.flightontime.info, based on Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures, places bmi regional well ahead of carriers including British Airways, Flybe, Ryanair and easyJet for the first seven months of 2014.

The Civil Aviation Authority calculates airline punctuality using the research, and the latest figures – covering July 2014 – show bmi regional achieved an On-Time Performance of 93% which is 10.4 percentage points (ppt) higher than the average and almost 12ppt higher than Flybe’s. On the rolling average from Jul 2013 to July 2014 bmi regional’s On-Time Performance is 90.4, beating all other airlines – 10.4 percentage points ahead of the UK average.

bmi regional’s scheduled network currently serves 20 destinations across the UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway and Sweden.
Cathal O’Connell, chief executive of bmi regional, said: “Punctuality performance is a core value for bmi regional and the team across the business is very proud to have maintained our leading position in the UK into the tenth consecutive year. Our commitment to on-time performance and delivering a second to none experience to our customers are at the heart of our growth plans as we expand our scheduled network in the UK, Europe and Scandinavia.

“Whether travelling for business or pleasure, being on time is crucial. Flying with us means making the most of every minute. All our customers enjoy free checked baggage and full in-flight bar and snack service as well as the comfort of knowing they will depart and arrive on time.”

8 December 2014

Passenger growth at Brussels Airlines continues in November: +17.4%

André Orban

16 December 2014

In November 494,405 passengers flew on a Brussels Airlines flight. That is an increase of 17.4 % compared to last year. The growth trend of last summer, which resulted in an increase of the passenger load factor, continued in November.

Brussels Airlines continues to record strong passenger results, which proves that the new travel options and competitive prices have been well received by the market.

In November 73,413 additional passengers opted for Brussels Airlines for either European or intercontinental flights. With a passenger growth of 17.4% Brussels Airlines exceeds market results. The passenger growth on European flights amounted to 21%. The passenger load factor increased to 64.7% in November (an increase of 2.4%).

Thanks to the steady increase of passengers, Brussels Airlines already exceeded its total number of passengers of 2013 (5.9 million) on 12 November.

In November, the first month of the IATA winter season, a new European destination, Riga, appeared for the first time in the flight schedule of Brussels Airlines. In addition, flight frequencies to several African destinations have been increased. Flights to Washington have been interrupted until spring 2015.

In addition to its scheduled flight activity, Brussels Airlines operated many holiday flights for tour operators, meeting and incentive agencies and sports clubs. Passenger figures for these charter activities are not included in the monthly figures of this press release.

	November 2014	November 2013	Month/month difference in %
Passengers	494,405	420,992	+ 17.4
Available seat-kilometres (in millions)	1,145.69	1,079.65	+ 6.1
Revenue Passenger-kilometres (in millions)	741.67	672.95	+ 10.2
Freight ton-kilometres (in millions)	15,126	14,953	+ 1.2
Overall Loadfactor (Passengers & freight)	57.4%	55.9%	+1.5 pct point
Passenger Load Factor PLF	64.7%	62.3%	+2.4 pct point

Tuesday 16 December, 2014

Berlin Brandenburg airport now scheduled to open in second half of 2017 – CEO resigns

André Orban

15 December 2014

Resolution of the Supervisory Board

12.12.2014

The Supervisory Board of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH discussed in detail the report presented by the Board of Management which outlines the schedule tables for the opening of BER in the second half of 2017. The Supervisory Board pledges its full support to the Board of Management to ensure that the new airport is able to open and start operating as swiftly as possible.

The decisive factor for the support of the Supervisory Board was that the Board of Management was able to provide a realistic schedule and show that all the parties involved in the construction process supported the schedule, and in particular the planners, experts and contractors.

The Board of Management of the airport operating company also reported that verifiable milestones had been defined and pledged to publicly communicate these. At each meeting of the Supervisory Board, the Board will require the Board of Management to provide concrete details of the degree to which the individual milestones have been achieved.

Mehdorn Resigns as CEO of FBB: Departure in June 2015 at the Latest

15.12.2014

Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH, today notified Rainer Bretschneider, Chairman-in-Office of the Supervisory Board, that he is resigning his position as CEO. At the same time, Mehdorn told the Supervisory Board Chairperson that he would be willing to continue to perform his duties until a successor had been found, but that his resignation would take effect on 30 June 2015 at the latest.

Hartmut Mehdorn: “The decision for the schedule tables for the second half of 2017 which was made last Friday brought affairs full circle for me. When I took over as CEO of FBB in March 2013, the construction site was dominated by chaos and standstill. Now, the construction site organisation has been properly structured, the key technical issues have been decided and a new management team for BER and FBB is on board. Nevertheless, I have become aware in recent weeks that there has been speculation about my person from the sphere of the Supervisory Board which has exceeded the limits of what I regard as acceptable. I personally regret deeply my decision to resign; this step is not in line with my sense of responsibility or my personal goals. But as I weigh the circumstances of the situation, I see that it is necessary.”

The Supervisory Board and management of the Airport Company announced on 12 December 2014 that Berlin Brandenburg Airport has now been scheduled to open in the second half of 2017. The construction on the airport will be completed by March 2016 and will then be followed by its official acceptance, testing and trial operation.

Record November at Warsaw Chopin Airport

André Orban

15 December 2014

Chopin Airport handled over 746,000 passengers in November 2014, a 7.1% increase on the same month last year.

November was yet another record month for the Warsaw airport, with 93,000 domestic passengers (up 0.7%) and 653,000 travellers on international flights (up 8%).

“Record passenger figures at Chopin Airport in both October and November indicate a year-on-year traffic growth of around 8%. This is all the more significant given that the airport personnel was reduced by about 30%. Despite this, the quality of passenger handling has remained as high,” said Micha? Kaczmarzyk, director of Chopin Airport.

Another fact worth mentioning is that until the end of September 2013 Chopin Airport was served by low-cost airline Ryanair, which generated approx. 11% of the airport’s total traffic. Subtracting this traffic from the October and November statistics does not result in falls. Comparing the figures in October and November 2013, when the airline no longer flew from Warsaw, with the same months this year shows that despite the absence of Ryanair, Chopin Airport is seeing a strong rise in its passenger numbers.

“This means other airlines have improved their offer and shows our great potential for growth,” added Micha? Kaczmarzyk.

In the eleven months of 2014, Chopin Airport has served a total of over 9.8 million passengers (down 1.6%), including nearly 8.7 million in international traffic (down 2,7%) and over 1,1 million domestically (up 7,6%). The number of aircraft movements in November grew by 7%, totalling 10,900.

Norwegian submits formal complaint about differential treatment to the EU and ESA

André Orban

15 December 2014

Norwegian wants equal conditions of competition in the Scandinavian aviation market and has therefore submitted a formal complaint regarding unlawful differential treatment in favour of SAS to the European Commission and ESA (EFTA Surveillance Authority). Discriminatory conditions and licencing practises prevent Norwegian from obtaining access to traffic rights on the same terms as SAS; in addition the differential treatment generates significant additional costs for SAS’ competitors in Scandinavia. The authorities argue that the differential treatment is justified by “grandfathered rights” due to historic explanations mainly because of the fact that its majority owners are the governments of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Norwegian has for the past five years on numerous occasions applied for and requested equal treatment and conditions to no avail. Every time, the rejections by the Scandinavian national aviation authorities have been justified by SAS’ historically defined conditions and that its majority owners are the governments of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

The issue at hand revolves around a joint Air Operator Certificate (AOC) that SAS benefits from and that Norwegian is denied access to on equal terms. Norwegian has not until now filed a formal complaint to European authorities, hoping and trusting that Scandinavian aviation authorities would create an equal set of rules for all the companies operating in the same market. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has also criticized the special treatment and concluded that the preferential treatment is in breach of European law. Still it has prevailed.

Limited access to traffic rights
A major competitive disadvantage for Norwegian compared to SAS is its limited access to traffic rights – or the ability to open new routes. The joint Scandinavian AOC, which only SAS benefits from, gives access to traffic rights both within the EU and EFTA (Norway), an advantage not available to Norwegian as Norway is not a part of the EU. If Norwegian had the same traffic rights, it would be able to operate, for instance, flights between Helsinki and Dubai, London and Tel Aviv and Barcelona and Tel Aviv. Norwegian recently applied to the authorities to get access to these routes, but was denied because the airline does not hold an EU AOC.

Higher aircraft and crew cost
Norwegian’s competitor is without restriction permitted to utilize its crews across the Scandinavian countries. SAS is also permitted to utilize aircraft registered in Norway, Sweden and Denmark seamlessly without approvals notwithstanding place of registry. The competitor must apply for wet-lease when aircraft from another AOC is used. Fees apply when the approval of such applications are requested. Norwegian and other airlines may only operate aircraft registered in another EU country for six plus six months. Although Norwegian’s competitor has to pay administrative fees to three authorities to obtain the joint AOC, it is not required to have three AOC organizations – one in Norway, one in Sweden and one in Denmark. Paradoxically, the latter is a compulsory EU requirement to obtain an AOC. The fees associated with obtaining the unique AOC is minor compared to the ones associated with obtaining three full administrative organizations.

Consistent long time criticism from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
The rules and regulations of European aviation safety are administered by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It has on numerous occasions over the past years stated that SAS’ special treatment and “multi-country”-AOC is not in accordance with the requirement of a«principal place of business» under current EU-regulations. Based on an approved AOC, an airline is granted an operating license in the country where it has its «principal place of business» and it is the civil aviation authorities in that country that shall conduct and be responsible for performing the safety supervision. Norwegian and all other airlines in Europe have to abide by these rules. However, the Scandinavian aviation authorities have established and continued a special treatment in favour of SAS that is not in accordance with EASA rules and regulations.

Press Release • Dec 15, 2014 07:49 GMT

Wizz Air announces new services from Budapest to Hurghada and Alghero

André Orban

15 December 2014

Wizz Air, the largest low-cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe, today announced two new services from Budapest to Hurghada in Egypt and to Alghero in Italy for the 2015 summer season. The new routes will commence on 16 May and 15 June respectively.

Wizz Air is now offering a total of 39 routes to 22 countries from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Seats on the new Hurghada and Alghero route are already on sale and can be booked from HUF 10,990* on wizzair.com.

WIZZ AIR’S NEW BUDAPEST ROUTES:

Destination	Days	Starting date	Fares from**
Hurghada	Sat	16 May	HUF 19,990
Alghero	Mon, Fri	15 June	HUF 10,990

These new services will add to the airline’s 2015 summer schedule which already includes new services from Budapest to Lisbon and Maastricht, as well as increased flight frequencies to popular destinations such as London Luton, Milan Malpensa and Barcelona.

György Abran, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are delighted to announce these new services from Budapest to two very exciting destinations. The holiday resorts at Hurghada and the Italian island Sardinia are very popular beach destination for families and water sport lovers. Our weekend departure to Hurghada makes this destination ideal for a one week vacation while the twice weekly flights to Sardinia allow Hungarian travelers to go on a short getaway to the Med. With fares starting from as low as HUF 10,990 we urge customers to book their next trip to the sun today on wizzair.com!”

AirAsia X places firm order for 55 Airbus A330neo aircraft

André Orban

15 December 2014

Carrier to benefit from even lower operating costs for long haul services

AirAsia X, the long haul affiliate of Asia’s largest low cost airline, has placed a firm order with Airbus for 55 A330neo aircraft. This is the largest single order to date for the best-selling A330 Family and reaffirms AirAsia X’s position as the biggest A330 airline customer worldwide, having now ordered a total of 91 aircraft. The announcement covers the firming up of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 50 A330neo signed during the Farnborough Air Show in July 2014, plus an additional five aircraft. Deliveries of the newly-ordered aircraft will begin in 2018.

“This latest deal with Airbus will enable AirAsia X to consolidate its growth rate in 2015-2017 before ramping up deliveries from 2018 onwards.” said Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Co-Founder and Director of AirAsia X. “The A330 has proven itself to be exactly the right aircraft for our business model, combining low operating costs, long range flying capability and high levels of comfort. We are extremely excited about the even greater levels of efficiency that will come with the A330neo, which will play a key role in enabling AirAsia X to maintain its position as the long haul low cost leader.”

“This order from AirAsia X is a major endorsement of the A330neo as the most cost-efficient aircraft in its size category,” said John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, Customers, Airbus. “With the A330neo in its fleet, AirAsia X will benefit from even lower operating costs as it expands it network and reach, enabling more people to fly further more often than ever before. We look forward to AirAsia X becoming one of the first operators of the latest version of the highly successful A330.”

Building on the proven economics, versatility and reliability of the A330ceo, the A330neo will incorporate latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, aerodynamic enhancements and new cabin features. These advances will make the aircraft the most cost-efficient in its size category, with a reduction in fuel consumption of 14% per seat, an increase in non-stop flying range of up to 400 nautical miles and the lowest possible maintenance costs.

The A330 Family is part of the world’s most modern and comprehensive widebody product line, which also includes the larger A350 XWB and double deck A380. Together, the various versions of the aircraft efficiently cover all airline widebody requirements for regional, medium and long haul operations, seating from 250 to over 500 passengers and sharing unique levels of operational commonality.

15 DECEMBER 2014 PRESS RELEASE

Boeing, Jetlines Announce Order for Five 737 MAX 7s

André Orban

15 December 2014

New Canadian ultra-low cost carrier starts building its fleet

Boeing and Jetlines today announced an order for five 737 MAX 7s as the new Canadian ultra-low cost carrier builds its future fleet. The order, valued at $438 million at current list prices, includes purchase rights for an additional 16 737 MAXs.

“This agreement with Boeing is a major milestone for Jetlines,” said Jim Scott, CEO of Jetlines. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Boeing and look forward to introducing the 737 MAX 7 into our fleet.”

The new airline, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, plans to tap into passenger demand by offering low cost airfares on routes that avoid direct competition with other airlines.

“Boeing is proud to partner with Jetlines as it begins a journey to offer low airfares to passengers across Canada,” said Brad McMullen, vice president of North America Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 737 MAX 7 is perfectly suited to the airline’s needs, and we appreciate the confidence Jetlines has in the airplane.”

The 737 MAX incorporates the latest technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. The 737 MAX 7 will be capable of flying more than 3,800 nautical miles, extending the range over today’s 737-700 by approximately 400 nautical miles (741km).

With this order, the 737 MAX has orders for 2,562 airplanes from 55 customers worldwide.

SEATTLE, Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/

For stress-free holiday travel, Air France allows to drop off baggage at Paris Invalides city terminal

André Orban

15 December 2014

The period just before Christmas is always a busy time, full of excitement. But it is also a time when the airport is extremely busy. For customers to benefit from a stress-free departure for the holiday season, Air France is offering a free baggage drop-off service on the day before departure at the Invalides terminal, where 10 check-in desks will be installed between 18 and 21 December 2014.

For stress-free travel this holiday season, drop off your baggage at Invalides!

This offer concerns all customers on flights operated by Air France from Paris-CDG* between 19 and 22 December.

Air France hopes that between 2,000 and 3,000 customers, who will be notified by e-mail beforehand, will use the service.

AN ACCLAIMED AIR FRANCE INNOVATION

Tested for the first time last summer during the busiest holiday weekend, this innovative service was a great success : 1,400 customers dropped of their baggage at the Invalides terminal in the 7th district which has the advantage of its central location in Paris.

DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE

Finally, in addition to this, Air France now offers its customers a baggage pick-up and/or delivery service between the airport and their home. At a fixed price of 75 euros for 4 bags (15 euros per additional bag) they no longer need to go to the baggage drop-off desk at the airport on the day of departure or to wait at baggage delivery. Their baggage is taken care of by the service provider Liberty Bag, who ensures the safety and security of baggage transport to the airport counters or the customer’s home. Customers can book this service up to 48 hours before their trip on the Air France website (in French). Baggage pick-up is between 30hrs and 12hrs before departure, once the customer has checked in online.
* except flights to Tel Aviv (special check-in procedures).

Monday 15 December 2014

Brussels Airport reaches 20 million passengers milestone

André Orban

13 December 2014

In November, Brussels Airport recorded an 18.2% growth and is thus heading straight for the year 2000 passenger record. With 20.4 million passengers handled in the first eleven months, the 20 million passengers mark has already been exceeded and the 21.6 million record is within reach. This strong performance is mainly driven by the opening of new routes and by Brussels Airport’s strategic position as Star Alliance hub.

Passengers
Brussels Airport welcomed 1,608,644 passengers in November, up 18.2% on last year (+247,415 passengers). This increase is largely attributed to Brussels Airlines and the low-fare carriers. Growth was mainly recorded in the O&D segment (passengers originating from or having Brussels Airport as their final destination) but the transfer segment too did exceptionally well with a 35.5% increase on November 2013.

From January to November, almost 20.5 million passengers travelled through Brussels Airport, up 14.7% on the corresponding period in 2013. This means that Brussels Airport is well on its way to break the year 2000 record of 21.6 million passengers in December.

Transfer traffic in the same period increased by 20%. This figure confirms Brussels Airport’s position as major hub in the Star Alliance network.

Cargo
Strong growth was also recorded in cargo traffic: up 13.5% on last year. Cargo volumes flown are clearly recovering due to the increasing capacity provided by carriers such as Qatar Airways Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo.

In terms of cargo volumes carried, November 2014 even is the best month since June 2012. Belly cargo and integrator traffic continue to perform well. Full freighter traffic is showing positive growth for the first time in a long while due to growing demand and the opening of new routes from Brussels Airport.

Aircraft movements
The number of flights increased by 10.1% on November 2013, and by 7.1% over the first eleven months. The average number of passengers on board grew to 102.4 passengers per flight in November 2014 (+ 6% on November 2013). This is explained by the use of larger aircraft and an improved passenger payload.

December 12, 2014

Brussels Airlines forced to cancel all flights of 15 December due to Belgocontrol strike

André Orban

12 December 2014

Following the recent announcement of a 24-hour closure of the Belgian airspace from 22h00 next Sunday, December 14th, Brussels Airlines is forced to cancel all of its flights during the duration of the strike.

Belgocontrol air traffic controllers have announced that from 22h00 on Sunday, December 14, they will go on strike during 24 hours. Brussels Airlines sees no other option than to cancel all its flights to and from Brussels Airport during that time. Earlier, Brussels Airlines already canceled 84 flights proactively for 15 December due to the national strike. The airline estimates the financial impact at 5 million euro.

The main priority of the airline is to inform its passengers as soon as possible and to provide travel alternatives. Passengers whose flight has been cancelled, can rebook their flight to an earlier or later date, or they have the option to request a refund of their ticket.

Brussels Airlines’ staff does its utmost to assist their customers as quickly as possible. Therefore the airline’s Service Centre will remain open longer on Friday evening and will be reachable until 21h00 (+32 2 723 23 62). Passengers can also go to the airport counters to change their tickets.

“We deeply regret that, once again it’s the travelers who are the victims of this action. We will do everything we can to assist our customers as much as possible. Colleagues from different departments will help out to reinforce our call centre, “said Bernard Gustin, CEO of Brussels Airlines.

The company keeps its customers informed of the situation via their website, Facebook and Twitter (@FlyingBrussels). Passengers are also notified by SMS (if phone number is available) and e-mail, or through their travel agent.

Friday 12 December, 2014

Belgian airspace closed for 24 hours from 14 December 22:00

12 December 2014

Belgian airspace will be closed as the ACV/CSC Transcom trade union representing air traffic controllers at Belgocontrol announced a 24-hour strike from 14 December 22:00 onwards.

Air traffic at all Belgian airports (Antwerp Airport, Brussels Airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, Liège Airport & Ostend-Bruges Airport) will be completely halted. Overflying traffic will not be stopped, as that airspace is controlled by Eurocontrol.

Airlines are preparing for the national strike on 15 December:

– Brussels Airlines has cancelled all its flights and will do its utmost to limit the inconveniences for its passengers and to get them to their destination as smoothly as possible (free cancellations and changes of reservations),

– Jetairfly will divert all its flights to airports in neighbouring countries (Maastricht, Lille for short- and medium-haul, Amsterdam/Schiphol for long-haul). Jetairfly will provide coaches for the transportation to/from these airports.

– Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium will also divert its flights to Lille airport in France.

Strikes 15 December: no flights in Belgium

Belgocontrol, Belgian Air Traffic Control, has confirmed that no flights will land or take off from Belgium due to the national strike. This means that all 600 flights from or to Brussels Airport from Sunday 14 December 10pm till Monday 15 December 10pm have been cancelled.

– Do not come to the airport

– Contact your airline or travel agency

For more information on the national strike, check out this topic on the national strike 15 December.

ACV Transcom online
Belgocontrol.be official website

Iberia and Meridiana extend their code-share agreement to Madrid-Naples route

André Orban

12 December 2014

Iberia and Meridiana have extended their code-share agreement to cover the Madrid-Naples route that the Italian carrier has just launched.

The schedule of four weekly flights operated by Meridiana between the Spanish capital and Naples, enables passengers to fly to other destinations – through Naples to Meridiana domestic destinations and via Madrid to 62 cities in Iberia’s network.

Cardholders of both Iberia Plus and Meridiana Club programmes can redeem Avios, when flying with either carrier.

“Meridiana has been our partner for many years and we are glad to be able to extend our code-share agreement with the Italian airline to Naples, which adds a new destination to our network in Italy” – says Neil Chernoff, Director of Network Development and Alliances of Iberia.

“We believe that the cooperation with Iberia on this new, unique route will definitely be another success story. Thanks to the extensive network of Iberia, our customers departing from Naples will be able to discover new travel opportunities to great destinations”, commented Mr. Andrea Andorno, Meridiana Chief Commercial Officer.

December 12, 2014

Luchthaven 24/7 op één vanaf 7 januari 2015

Bart Noëth

12 December 2014

Luchthaven 24/7 vanaf 7 januari 2015 op één

Luchthaven 24/7 volgt gepassioneerde werknemers 24 uur per dag en 7 dagen per week, in een spannende reportagereeks over Brussels Airport. Het is niet de eerste keer dat er gefilmd wordt op de luchthaven, maar nooit eerder kreeg een cameraploeg de toestemming om zo diep door te dringen in het raderwerk achter de schermen. In Luchthaven 24/7 maakt de kijker kennis met de complexe werking van de grootste luchthaven van het land, een luchthaven die elk jaar 19 miljoen passagiers op hun bestemming brengt. Een huzarenstukje waar 20.000 werknemers aan te pas komen. Luchthaven 24/7: op woensdag om 20.40 uur, vanaf 7 januari op Eén.

Voorstukje op Youtube:

www.een.be

Discussion of this topic: http://www.luchtzak.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=53540 (EN) or http://www.luchtzak.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55307 (NL)

Aeromexico receives 1,100th Embraer E-Jet

André Orban

12 December 2014

Embraer delivered the 1,100th E-Jet production aircraft, yesterday, during a ceremony held in the Aeromexico hangar, at the Benito Juárez International Airport, in Mexico City. The aircraft, an E190 model, is also the 200th aircraft from the E-Jet family flying in Latin America.

“In the same year that we are celebrating the E-Jets’ 10th anniversary of operations, worldwide, we are immensely proud to be recognizing yet another milestone that this versatile family of aircraft has now achieved,” said Paulo Cesar Silva, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “As one of Embraer’s largest operators, it is only fitting that Aeromexico is the recipient of the 200th E-Jet on the Latin American continent, as well as the 1,100th E-Jet worldwide.

“Embraer has been a very important ally for over 10 years; currently, over 50 percent of our fleet is comprised of these Brazilian aircraft,” said Andres Conesa, airline’s CEO. “In Aeromexico we feel very proud to be the carrier that receives 1,100th Embraer E-Jet and integrate it into our fleet, one of the most modern in the industry.”

Aeromexico operates a fleet of 62 Embraer jets through its regional brand, Aeromexico Connect: 27 E190s, six E170s, three E175s, and 26 ERJ 145s.

The first delivery of an E -Jet in Latin America occurred in 2005. Currently, eight airlines, from seven countries, operate the E-Jets in the region, where Embraer is the leader in the segment of jets up to 130 seats, with a 70% market share.

Embraer is the only manufacturer to develop a modern family of four airplanes specifically targeted for the 70 to 130-seat segment. Since their formal launch of the program, in 1999, the E-Jets have redefined the traditional concept of regional aircraft by operating across a range of business applications.

The E-Jets family entered revenue service in 2004. Currently, E-Jets are flying with 65 airlines from 45 countries, holding a 62% market share, based on deliveries, in the segment of jets with capacity up to 130 seats. Today, E-Jets are flying with mainline, low-cost and regional carriers, as well as charter airlines. The E-Jets have a strategically located global network of customer support and services with 37 MRO service centers, worldwide, including 12 Embraer Authorized Service Centers (EASC) and 25 independent centers

In June 2013, Embraer launched the second generation of the E-Jets family – the E-Jets E2 – the first of which is slated to enter service in 2018.

Mexico City, Mexico, December 11, 2014

Enjoy Free Wi-Fi in the sky on Emirates A380s

Maarten Van Den Driessche

11 December 2014

DUBAI, U.A.E.,11th December 2014: Over 200,000 passengers have used Emirates’ free onboard Wi-Fi since October this year, taking advantage of the airline’s service to connect with family, friends or colleagues when they fly.
On most Emirates A380s passengers can access 10MBs of free data, enough to send emails, blog, tweet, post on Facebook, or browse the Internet.

Emirates currently offers Wi-Fi connectivity on 86 aircraft – on board all of its 56 Airbus A380s, as well as on 30 of its Boeing 777s. A comprehensive retrofit programme is also underway to install Wi-Fi capability across the rest of its fleet. On 51 of Emirates’ A380s, the first 10MB of data is free, and a token $1 charge is levied for the next 500MB. On all other aircraft, getting online costs US$1 due to the current hardware and software installed.

Until 01 January 2015, proceeds from these connection charges will be donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation to help improve quality of life for disadvantaged children around the world.
“Emirates sees inflight Wi-Fi as an essential value-add service that should be freely available for our customers to connect with friends, family and business. At the moment, software and technical limitations mean that on some of our aircraft we still have to levy a token charge for Wi-Fi. We are working hard to overcome this but until then, it is only $1 to get online. We’ve been providing free Wi-Fi and $1 Wi-Fi on the fleet since early October and up to 35% of passengers are using the service, especially on long flights,” said Patrick Brannelly, Emirates’ VP for Corporate Communications – Product, Publishing, Digital and Events.

“Most of our flights are long-haul international routes, and we know that many of our customers want to stay in touch when they travel. That is why Emirates has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in our inflight connectivity systems. We especially see a spike in mobile and Wi-Fi usage during major festive seasons, and we believe that our customers will welcome the fact that if they have to pay a $1 connection fee, proceeds will go towards supporting a good cause. We expect to collect and donate about US$40,000 to the Emirates Airline Foundation, but that amount could increase if more users log-on to Wi-Fi between now and the new year,” added Brannelly.

Since Emirates introduced onboard Wi-Fi three years ago, more than 600,000 passengers have connected to the service, and usage is rising in tandem with the growing penetration of mobile devices and changing lifestyles.
The industry leader in onboard connectivity, Emirates was the first airline to install in-seat telephones and onboard faxes back in 1995. Today, customers onboard Emirates can connect to Wi-Fi, send emails and text messages via their personal ice entertainment system screens, as well as use their personal mobile devices to make calls and send messages.

Two new British Airways leisure services at London City

André Orban

11 December 2014

British Airways are launching two new services to the Greek Islands in time for the peak summer season.

The new seasonal routes to Santorini and Mykonos will operate from 29 June until 6 September 2015. The four-a-week flights to Mykonos and two-a-week to Santorini will be the airport¹s only services to the Greek Islands and strengthen the airport’s growing leisure network.

Flight schedule:

London City – Mykonos	Time
Monday, Wednesday and Thursday	10.40
Sunday	12.45
Mykonos – London City
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays	17.05
Sunday	19.20

London City – Santorini	Time
Tuesday and Friday	10.40
Santorini – London City
Tuesday and Friday	17.05

British Airways leisure 11/12/2014

Norwegian arrives Birmingham airport and launches new routes to Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga

André Orban

11 December 2014

Norwegian continues to expand its route network in the UK and will for the first time offer non-stop service from Birmingham to Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga. The airline also adds Malaga as a new destination from Edinburgh.

”We´re happy to announce that Norwegian is launching new routes from Birmingham to several destinations in Spain. We are looking forward to offering our low fares and award-winning service to travelers in the greater Birmingham area and welcoming them on board our brand new and more environmentally friendly fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft with free WiFi,” said Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Ramdahl of Norwegian.

Paul Kehoe, Chief Executive of Birmingham Airport said, “We are very pleased to be
able to announce this new airline and offer more new routes from Birmingham, and I thank Norwegian for choosing to launch Birmingham to these popular Spanish destinations.

“Although Norwegian is new to the Midlands market, I am certain that consumers – both business and leisure – will be impressed with the carrier’s low fares and efficient service, We are therefore very pleased to be welcoming Norwegian to Birmingham next summer.”

Norwegian also launches a new route between Edinburgh and Malaga.

Birmingham – Barcelona
Norwegian will offer two weekly departures on Mondays and Fridays. Start date: June 1, 2015.

Birmingham – Madrid
Norwegian will offer three weekly departures on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Start date: March 31, 2015.

Birmingham – Malaga
Norwegian will offer three weekly departures on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. Start date: March 30, 2015.

Edinburgh – Malaga
Norwegian will offer two weekly departures on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Start date: March 31, 2015.

Press Release • Dec 11, 2014 10:04 GMT

Berlin passenger numbers up by 7.5 per cent: Over two million passengers in November

André Orban

11 December 2014

In November, 2,199,655 passengers took off and landed at Schönefeld and Tegel airports. This represents growth of 7.5 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year. 565,193 passengers were recorded at Schönefeld in November (+13.2 per cent), with 1,634,462 being registered at Tegel (+5.7 per cent).

Berlin-Tegel_from_the_air The number of flight movements climbed to a total of 20,474 take-offs and landings in November – a 3.3 per cent year-on-year increase. At Schönefeld, the number of flight movements increased to 5,685 compared to the prior-year period. This is equivalent to growth of 9.1 per cent. Tegel also charted year-on-year growth of 1.2 per cent. All in all, 14,789 flight movements were recorded at Tegel in November.
A total of 25,922,148 passengers used Schönefeld and Tegel airports from January to November. The figure was therefore 6.3 per cent up on the same period of the previous year.
In the first eleven months of the year, 6,714,018 passengers were recorded at Schönefeld, which is 8.2 per cent more than in the same period of 2013. Tegel Airport processed 19,208,130 passengers during the same period – 5.7 per cent more than in the eleven months to November 2013.
The total number of flight movements in the period from January to November rose to 233,900 take-offs and landings or 5.2 per cent more than one year earlier. At Schönefeld, the number of flight movements increased to 65,004. This corresponds to growth of 7.8 per cent. Meanwhile, Tegel experienced year-on-year growth of 4.3 per cent. A total of 168,896 flight movements were recorded at Tegel between January and November.
Airfreight amounted to 3,907 tonnes at Schönefeld and Tegel in November – up 19.2 per cent on the same period of 2013.
The data provided are preliminary figures. You can view the traffic statistics online at:

Traffic statistics online

10.12.2014

Brussels Airlines prepares for Belgian national strike day on 15 December

Bart Noëth

11 December 2014

After a first provincial strike day on 8 December, Brussels Airlines prepares itself for a second, this time national, strike day on 15 December.

Also this time, the airline does its utmost to limit the inconveniences for its passengers and to get them to their destination as smoothly as possible.

Brussels Airlines does its utmost to operate its flight schedule, but must anticipate the impact the national actions of 15 December may have. On 1 December the airline already announced an adapted flight schedule for 8 and 15 December. Following the impact on 8 December, 52 additional flights have been cancelled for next Monday. This way the airline can offer its passengers travel alternatives well in advance. In total 84 flights have been cancelled for 15 December. That is 40% of Brussels Airlines’ total flight offer that day. No long haul flights have been cancelled.

Brussels Airlines Airbus (picture by Edwin Vanoverschelde)

The nuisance remained somewhat limited for passengers at the airport last Monday, because Brussels Airlines had adapted its flight schedule well in advance.

Economically, the strike has obviously caused extensive damage to the airline, estimated at 1.5 million euro. The financial impact of the strike of 15 December is expected to be even larger. For that day, Brussels Airlines originally had 21,400 passengers booked on its flights.

More information about the adapted flight schedule.

Passengers whose flight has been cancelled, are offered alternative flight times, or they have the option to request a refund of their ticket.

Since 21 November Brussels Airlines offers all passengers booked on flights on 15 December, the possibility to rebook their flight pro-actively, if they don’t wish to fly anymore on this day, regardless of whether their flight is cancelled. On 15 December, the airline will do its utmost to assist her passengers at the airport as much as possible. The airline strongly advises to travel with hand luggage only, if possible, since baggage handling activities might be impacted as well.

The company keeps its customers informed of the situation via their website, Facebook and Twitter (@FlyingBrussels).Passengers are also notified by SMS (if phone number is available) and e-mail, or through their travel agent.

Brussels Airlines press release (11 December 2014)

UPDATE: All flights on 15 December have been cancelled as a result of the all-day strike of the Air Traffic Controllers of Belgocontrol.

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British Airways are launching two new services to the Greek Islands in time for the peak summer season.

Norwegian continues to expand its route network in the UK and will for the first time offer non-stop service from Birmingham to Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga. The airline also adds Malaga as a new destination from Edinburgh.

After a first provincial strike day on 8 December, Brussels Airlines prepares itself for a second, this time national, strike day on 15 December.

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