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  : September 05, 2005.

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Germanwings Launches New Route from Cologne/Bonn to Moscow 16 July 2005

Three flights per week for a snip of the price  http://www9.germanwings.com
London: July 16 2005 -- From July 16, Germanwings, Germany's premiere low-cost airline, will extend its flight schedule to include a new low-cost route from Cologne/Bonn to Moscow, one of the world's major capitals. The new route is especially exciting for UK customers based in Birmingham, Edinburgh and Dublin - where there are no direct flights to Moscow - who are increasingly using Germanwings Cologne/Bonn base to connect on to other European cities. 

Icelandair Express will add services to Bergen, Berlin, Friedrichshafen, Gothenburg, Hamburg and Stockholm from May 2006. http://www.icelandexpress.com/

Phukett AIR Closes All But One Route - Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at 06:58
Phukett Airlines will close down all charter activities, and all but one of its domestic routes following a spate of bad publicity and losses. Aircraft will be wet leased to other carriers, whilst the remaining Bangkok to Ranong.


May the first 2004 will see the inclusion of many new countries from the former eastern block countries, joining the European Union. There will be an increased need for budget flights to cities in these countries. Easyjet and Ryanair are both planning new routes to connect to the UK. Not to be left out New Polish Low fare carrier Wizz Air www.wizzair.com will be challenging them and also taking on CSA Czech Airlines from Prague. With another carrier Czech based Smartwings www.smartwings.net to join the party, competition will be fierce so expect some super low fares.

Thompson Fly - another low fare UK based carrier has inaugurated services from Coventry airport which it now owns.

Easyjet will be leasing an Boeing747 for it's high density summer routes for 2004. Free seating scramble on a plane this size will be fun.

New South African domestic carrier due to start services soon www.1time.aero/  1Time plans to fly between Jo-Burg Cape Town and Durban.

Trans-Atlantic Route Set to become the new low-fares battle ground.

Azores Express April 12, 2004 -- has launched a new travel Web portal that makes booking a ticket or checking an airfare to Portugal as simple as a click of a mouse. The new site at www.azores-express.com  offers travel information on the Azores, airfare quotes and reservations, special pricing, and updates on events and packages to the Azores. 
Azores Express has connected New England with the Azores for more than 17 years. The carrier is part of the SATA Group, which serves the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. SATA, founded in 1946, offers connecting service to all nine islands in the Azores, Madeira, and Lisbon and Porto on mainland Portugal. Azores Express offers year-round service from Boston, and summer service from Providence, Rhode Island.

Alitalia could learn fate of government help today 
Friday April 23, 2004 
The Italian government is set to decide today what it can do to help struggling Alitalia. 
Earlier this week, the carrier's management outlined a new rescue plan but warned that results would depend upon cooperation from trade unions and a government decision on state aid for the sector. The plan was drafted by CEO Marco Zanichelli, appointed in Feb. after the government and unions failed to back a restructuring plan drawn up by previous management that included 2,700 job cuts.

Etihad Airways, the new carrier of the United Arab Emirates, launched its first route to the UK yesterday with the introduction of five-times-weekly A330 service linking London Heathrow and Abu Dhabi. Etihad is operating its aircraft in a three-class configuration with 75-in. pitch in Diamond first class, 49-in. pitch in Pearl business class and 32-in. pitch in Coral economy. All seats are equipped with personal video screens. Free ground transfers are offered to all classes when departing from Abu Dhabi, the airline said.

Valuair, the Singapore-based low-cost airline being formed by two former SIA executives, received its air operator certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority. However, to launch commercial flights, CAA said Valuair will have to apply to the Air Traffic Rights Committee for rights to the destinations it wishes to serve. It is one of four low-cost carriers that plan to begin service from Singapore this year. The others are Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia; Tiger Airways, which is owned by Singapore Airlines, and an unnamed carrier to be launched by Qantas and Temasek Holdings.

Air New Zealand is expected to announce in June plans to acquire a $1.2 billion fleet of A330s for its South Pacific and Asian routes, according to The Dominion Post. The newspaper reported that Airbus is likely to be preferred to the Boeing option of 777s and 7E7s for the airline's program to replace its nine 767-300s. An ANZ spokesperson said the carrier has not decided on what aircraft type or number it will purchase.--Ian Thomas

Ted represents the last three letters in the United brand name. United's parent company, UAL Corp., currently in bankruptcy proceedings, created the low-cost airline as an attempt to recapture market share lost to low-cost competitors, including America West, Southwest and JetBlue. 
Ted will begin flying customers on Airbus A320s in February, starting with four planes with 156 seats each. United officials said as many as 45 planes could be committed to Ted service by the end of 2004. Ted planes will carry 18 more seats than the same airliners in United service because only one class of service will be offered. Flights will go from Denver to Phoenix; Reno, Nev.; Las Vegas; New Orleans; Tampa, Fla.; Orlando, Fla.; Ontario, Calif.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 
Ted will also fly between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, between Las Vegas and San Francisco and between San Francisco and Phoenix. www.meetted.com  

Australia, Paul Stoddart, the formula one Minardi team boss, hopes to have a new budget airline flying the east coast by Christmas. Mr Stoddart, in Australia for the Grand Prix, said yesterday the airline, to be called OzJet, would take on Virgin Blue and Qantas's discount airline, Jetstar."We'll start off with about half a dozen aircraft, probably launching in about October," he told the Ten Network. "We're hoping to get in just before Christmas." OzJet would initially focus on Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and would probably operate from suburban airports such as Essendon and Moorabbin in Melbourne, Bankstown in Sydney and Archerfield in Brisbane. 

"We are trying to serve a different niche market, and I think it will work really well," Mr Stoddart said. He first floated the plan in November and discussed it with Premier Steve Bracks. A Victorian Government spokesman yesterday confirmed that Mr Stoddart would meet Government officials within the week. NSW Premier Bob Carr welcomed the new airline, but appeared to rule out Bankstown as an OzJet destination. 

Qantas Airways has been bitten by the low cost carrier bug with the announcement it will start an Asian discount carrier in addition to its domestic offshoot Jetstar.

Australia's flagship carrier will take a 49.9% stake in the US$100 million Singapore-based airline, likely to be known as Jetstar Asia.

Singapore's state-owned investment agency Temasek Holdings and two local businessmen will pick up the remaining stake.

Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said the airline would fly to a range of Asian cities within five hours of Singapore and operate a fleet of either Boeing 737-800s or Airbus A320s.

Ryanair this week confirmed that it reached an agreement with Brussels South Charleroi Airport and the Walloon Authorities that will allow the carrier to continue operations and keep its base at the airport. "This agreement was timely as we have negotiated a number of other airport base arrangements in recent months at costs which are lower than that at Brussels Charleroi, and there was a real likelihood that in the absence of an early agreement with Brussels Charleroi we would have closed the base and moved the aircraft and the low-fare routes elsewhere," Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said. Under the agreement, Ryanair said the existing airport and handling charges will continue for the "foreseeable future until the airport reaches 2 million passengers per year, at which time third-party competitive handling will be introduced." In addition, legislation was enacted by the Walloon Authorities to make the Ryanair discounted arrangements available to other airlines operating at the airport. Ryanair also agreed to "actively explore" possibilities for basing more aircraft at and opening more routes from Charleroi subject to a new terminal being constructed and the airport providing a "competitive cost offer for these new routes that would be similar to the other lower cost offers presently available from a number of other privately and publicly owned airports."

New Start Up in USA. USA 3000 Airlines is a charter airline owned by Apple Vacations, the largest tour operator in the US. Their claim to fame is to offer a 30 inch seat pitch the most legroom for any charter carrier. Plans are to operate PHL & EWR to warm Caribbean destinations, Mexico and Dom Republic.

Virgin Blue to launch international services
Dateline:  Tuesday April 16, 2002     
Australia's Virgin Blue is set to launch international flights within a year to take on Qantas's new low-fare international airline and round off the airline group's global expansion plans.

Richard Branson, speaking in Brisbane, confirmed that his management team is looking at a range of options including New Zealand, Hong Kong and Bali. "New Zealand will definitely be one of Virgin Blue's first international destinations," he said. Flights to Hong Kong would depend on a number of factors relating to whether Virgin Atlantic flew to Australia. "We have to decide whether it's Virgin Atlantic that flies the whole way here or maybe Virgin Blue flies to meet Virgin Atlantic in Hong Kong or Shanghai or Tokyo," he said.

Swiss said its official name will be Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., not Swiss Air Lines Ltd. as previously announced, as the carrier moves to end a dispute with failed Swissair over naming rights and head off potential future legal problems. The name will be voted upon May 13 and if approved will take effect on July 1. The carrier also said the Federal Office for Justice shot down Crossair's request--swiss was formed from Crossair and Swissair--to register headquarters in Basel and Zurich. Regulators said the company didn't meet the criteria for dual headquarters, according to swiss. Consequently, it will maintain its headquarters in Basel.

American Trans Air said it will add new flights between Chicago Midway and several cities. ATA and Chicago Express Airlines, which operates as ATA Connection, will offer four daily nonstops to Toledo starting June 28 and four daily nonstops to Flint starting July 1. As of July 18, Charlotte, N.C., will get three flights a day Monday through Friday and two flights a day on weekends.

Bmi british midland followed British Airways by announcing a major overhaul of its domestic fares on flights to and from London Heathrow. As of yesterday, bmi removed Saturday-night and minimum-stay requirements and will allow name changes to tickets to be made up to 2 hr. before departure. Earlier this month BA scrapped all Saturday-night-stay and advance-purchase restrictions on domestic flights into and out of London.

SAS situation 'precarious' in wake of worst-ever loss Dateline:  Wednesday February 13, 2002
SAS called 2001 "the most difficult year the airline industry has ever experienced." It responded to the sharp drop in demand during the autumn by cutting capacity at SAS Airline and laying off 3,500 workers. The moves are expected to save Sek500 million annually and SAS said it expects other measures to boost earnings by Sek2.4 billion on an annual basis. It anticipates cost savings of Sek1.7 billion this year. SAS also said it had postponed certain aircraft deliveries but did not provide details. It is set to take 12 aircraft this year.

Lindegaard and CFO Gunnar Reitan spoke of considerable uncertainty in SAS core airline prospects for the rest of this year as demand continues weak, with business-class traffic "substantially reduced" since Sept. "Some improvement" is forecast for the second half but at the same time corporate travelers are shifting to economy class while low-fare operators such as Ryanair are making inroads in Scandinavia, they said. As a result, SAS expects to post a loss in 2002 although it will not be as severe as in 2001. Cash flow is expected to be positive.

Lindegaard said SAS will confront Ryanair with its own discount fares to London starting next week, without going into details.

Ryanair said Lufthansa has agreed not to enforce a court injunction that would prevent the Irish budget airline from using the name Frankfurt-Hahn in its ads. Ryanair will launch services from the former military base tomorrow. LH won a court injunction to bar Ryanair from using the name Frankfurt-Hahn--the airport's legal name and official IATA designation. The dispute has an ironic twist: LH lobbied for years to add Frankfurt to the name of Hahn Airport, an airline executive confirmed at the Economist Global Airlines Conference in London last week.

Feb 11 KLM and French national railway operator SNCF reached an agreement that will allow customers to book air travel through Paris with connecting train service to 13 French cities on a single ticket. Beginning March 1, passengers who arrive at the TGV train station with a KLM-Northwest Airlines ticket at least 20 min. before departure will receive an SNCF coupon. Their connections will last a minimum of 75 min. for a trip to/from Amsterdam or with a continuation beyond Amsterdam, and 120 min. for a trip to/from Detroit.

British Midland enters the no frills low fare market (bmi) announces the arrival of bmibaby - new no frills airline born at East Midlands Airport - bmibaby's guardian announced -
bmi british midland is delighted to announce the birth of its new no frills airline, bmibaby, which was born today at East Midlands Airport. The baby’s birthday suit will be unveiled at an official party next week, along with a celebratory launch promotion.
bmibaby will be flying a dedicated fleet of Boeing 737-300 aircraft and serve an extensive range of key leisure destinations, including high frequency services to Barcelona, Nice, Palma, Malaga, Faro and Alicante. Internet fares on bmibaby will start at just £25 each way, and services will commence on 23 March – a week before the Easter Bank Holiday. Seats on bmibaby will be on sale later this month.  What will the fares be?
The pricing structure will be extremely competitive with the ability to book low cost, one way or return fares – the actual fare levels will be announced next week, but internet fares will start from £25 each way including all taxes and charges.

EasyJet Plans Battle for Europe

EJ may buy 75 aircraft by 2007
Dateline:  Tuesday January 08, 2002     

European low-cost carrier easyJet said Monday that it is mulling an order for as many as 75 aircraft as part of plans to grow its fleet to more than 100 planes by the end of 2007.

The London Luton-based airline, which operates 26 737s, is considering the 737-700 and A319, CEO Ray Webster told the Financial Times. The number of aircraft to be acquired may change during the negotiations, easyJet said in a statement. The carrier already has committed to boost capacity by about 25% a year until 2004, which would give it 32 737-700s and 16 737-300s at that time.

In an interview late last year, Webster said, "Let's say 300 aircraft is our next point of focus," adding, "We're very confident we can do it. Southwest has about 300 aircraft [and] Europe is a big place."

Passenger Rights EC proposes stronger rules for denied boarding
Dateline:  Thursday January 10, 2002     

European Commission proposed regulations to strengthen the rights of air passengers who are denied boarding, have their flights cancelled or experience a long delay.

"Strengthening the rights of passengers will help restore their confidence in air travel," said Loyola de Palacio, EC VP for energy and transport. The EC said its 1991 regulation on denied boarding "has proved too weak and limited." As a remedy it has opted for these measures: Extending passenger rights to scheduled and nonscheduled flights, including package holidays; quintupling compensation for denied boarding to eur750 ($669.83) for flights of less than 3,500 km and to eur1,500 for flights of at least 3,500 km, and requiring operators to notify passengers of canceled flights before departure time.

Passengers who cannot be contacted or do not volunteer to surrender their reservations would be entitled to compensation at the rate for denied boarding. "Cancellation is denied boarding in an extreme form," the EC reasoned.

Air Canada said it will expand its low-fare Tango network with three new destinations and plans to add three aircraft to its fleet of six A320s for the summer travel season. Tango will begin service from Toronto to Regina/Saskatoon and Thunder Bay April 1, bringing the unit's network to 12 major Canadian cities. To boost capacity for the busy summer season, Tango will expand frequencies on several routes from Toronto. Vancouver will increase from two to three daily nonstop flights, Winnipeg will rise to twice-daily from once and Halifax will jump from one nonstop and two one-stop trips to four daily flights including two nonstops. The expansion comes as rivals are trying to snag a piece of the domestic market, which is controlled overwhelmingly by AC. WestJet is planning to begin flying from Toronto, AC's hub ( and rival Canada 3000 is looking to begin domestic service with a scaled-down version of the defunct airline in the spring.

Bmi plans East Midlands-based no-frills airline
Dateline:  Friday January 11, 2002     

Bmi british midland plans to launch a no-frills airline based at East Midlands Airport.

The new carrier will fly a dedicated fleet of 737-300s beginning March 23. It will have a separate name and corporate identity, which will be announced next week, and will focus on key leisure destinations such as Barcelona, Nice, Palma, Malaga, Faro and Alicante.

In a May 2001 interview, bmi CEO Austin Reid mused about the impact of low-cost carriers and said his airline had considered emulating Ryanair but decided against it. "Going from full-service to budget airline is almost impossible. You really need to start with a clean sheet," he declared. Bmi is sticking to that view--in announcing its low-cost business the parent said it "will continue to operate and develop as a full-service international scheduled carrier."

GO- AWAY Earlier this week, low-cost carrier Go and bmi entered into a public row after the latter filed an objection with the Civil Aviation Authority regarding Go's mid-Dec. application to begin serving Prague. "This is an absolutely outrageous move by bmi," Go Sales & Marketing Director David Magliano said, adding, "bmi does not fly to Prague and obviously doesn't want anyone else to either."

Go announced last month that it plans to establish a base at East Midlands, where bmi is the dominant scheduled airline with about 300 flights a week. Go intends to begin services from EMA to six European destinations in late May, a move that was not welcomed by its rival. Bmi applied to CAA to open routes from EMA to Prague as well as to Budapest, Geneva, Zurich and Basel. It also threatened to ask the Office of Fair Trading to investigate the airport's pricing practices unless it provides assurances that all airlines are treated "on an equal basis" with respect to landing fees.

Belgium Sabena - The Vultures are in and so are the deals
Dateline:  December 21 2001  Sabena successor DAT is facing a rising tide of competition as it struggles to take on the mantle of Belgium's national carrier. Giant travel group Thomas Cook, which is owned by Lufthansa and German department store company Karstadt, this week revealed plans to set up a Brussels based airline - it will fly holidaymakers to European and other destinations by the spring - Ryanair, Europe's biggest and most successful low cost airline is offering low price tickets from an airport near Brussels called Charleroi. Sir Richard Branson's discount carrier Virgin express has been adding routes from it's hub in Brussels. VLM a carrier primarily serving business travellers, has stepped up flight frequency between Brussels and London. Across the border in Germany, Ryanair is also planning to expand it's attack on Lufthansa's home market, opening a second hub and more European destinations next year, followed by the launch of domestic flights in 2003. Chief exec Michael O'Leary said this week that Ryanair aimed to fly to four of five German airports next year. At present it operates to Frankfurt- Hahn and Hamburg-Luebeck. The firm is looking particularly at southern Germany and the Berlin region. But ruled out any acquisition of the struggling Deutche BA the loss making British airways subsidiary carrier. 

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Qantas Low Fare Carrier Start Date  Qantas is to launch it's new low cost airline "Australian Airlines" by Sept 2002 and not April as anticipated. Negotiations with unions are on-going. Employing about 350 staff it will begin operations with four Boeing 767 building to a fleet of 12. The new airline with it's HQ in Sydney will initially operate Cairns to Four Asian countries destinations will be Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka in Japan and Taipei in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, these are largely medium haul routes previously abandoned by Qantas as loss making. Australian will also offer connecting flights between cairns and Queensland's Gold Coast six times a week the new carrier will be one of the first low cost all economy operators in Asia. 

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Lan Chile is the safest and most reliable airline in Latin America, according to a survey by Dow Jones America Economia magazine, "We are very proud of this accomplishment, which is a testament that Lan Chile is becoming recognized as one of the worlds top 10 airlines," said vice president Roberta Bianchi.

Trans-Brazil Grounded after failing to pay it's fuel bills. it's three Boeing 767's have been seized under a court order. the carriers 2200 employees were paid only a part of their salaries for Sept and Oct. 

Qantas may delay launch of Australian Airlines
Dateline:  Monday November 19, 2001  Qantas's plans to launch a new low-cost airline in the international market may be deferred until market conditions improve, CEO Geoff Dixon indicated. The carrier, to be named Australian Airlines, is intended to serve lower-yield and tourist markets where Qantas is unable to operate profitability. 
in stark contrast...

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...Richard Branson's Virgin Blue is being circled by as many 12 prospective investors interested in taking 49% or more of the airline before its proposed float toward the end of 2002. The Australian budget operator, which is wholly owned by Branson, is looking for financing to capitalize fully on the demise of Ansett by expanding its fleet from 12 to as many as 30 737s.

Virgin Blue is to begin services from Melbourne and Adelaide to Perth in December. The airline will undercut fares offered by rival Qantas http://www.virgin.com/blue/index_cl.html 

VIRGIN BLUE WILL ALSO BE DELIVERING CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO DARWIN FLIGHTS BROUGHT FORWARD TO DECEMBER & MT. ISA SCHEDULE EXTENDED TO 30 MARCH
Virgin Blue today made the long awaited announcement it will launch direct flights between Brisbane and Cairns following months of overwhelming demand and support for the service.

Direct flights from Cairns to Brisbane will commence from November 29, just in time to offer the people of Far North Queensland low fares and real competition for the busy Christmas/New Year holiday period. The low fare carrier will start off with a one flight a day service to Cairns, one of Australia's premier tourist destinations, adding yet another Queensland centre to Virgin Blue's expanding route network. The announcement comes just days after Virgin Blue launched its latest Brisbane-Mackay service.

Sabena filing for liquidation after Virgin walks away 
Dateline:  Wednesday November 07, 2001     
Sabena suspended all flights yesterday and will file for liquidation today after Virgin Express withdrew from talks to save the failed carrier. Sabena's board decided on the measure at a meeting yesterday and will appear in a Belgian court today to file for bankruptcy, a spokesperson said. Belgium anticipated the decision by posting 150 police officers in the Brussels airport Monday with another 100 on standby to prevent airline employees from disrupting operations or taking over the airport The bankruptcy decision closely followed Virgin Express's declaration that it did not believe the Sabena rescue plan "to be workable" because it could put the suitor's staff at risk.

Northwest expects new fare Deals to boost passenger numbers 
Dateline:  Tuesday November 06, 2001   Northwest Airlines yesterday unveiled a revamped leisure fare structure. The bulk of the actions involve Northwest's Every Day Deals leisure fares introduced in 1997. The airline said it is reducing fares in this category by an average of 25% and shortening the advance purchase requirement from 21 days to 14 days. Additionally, it introduced some deeper-discount fares with day-of-week and/or advance-purchase restrictions.And in a first for any network airline, Northwest announced it is offering an even lower restricted fare that will be available via Hotwire and Priceline. Carriers typically use these websites to sell distressed inventory and this is believed to be the first time an airline actively has promoted a fare on either site. 

MIDWAY AIRLINES, Sep 4, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Midway Airlines (Nasdaq: MDWY) today announced great low fares in every market it serves. Fares start as low as $51 each way based on a roundtrip purchase. For reservations, travelers can visit the Midway Airlines' website at www.midwayair.com , or call 1(800) 44-MIDWAY or their travel agent. Seats at these fares are limited. Following is a sample of prices available: City Pair *Fare Sale RDU - Louisville $51,RDU - Atlanta $59,New York LaGuardia - Ft. Lauderdale $61,Philadelphia, PA - Orlando $63,Washington DC/National - RDU $66,RDU - Boston $69,Newark - Miami $70, Prices listed are each way, based on a required roundtrip purchase.

Branson turns ANZ's Virgin Blue offer down flat 

Dateline:  Thursday September 06, 2001     
Virgin chief Richard Branson publicly rejected a A$250 million ($130 million) offer from Air New Zealand for his Australian budget carrier Virgin Blue. Branson earlier had suggested that Virgin Blue might take a stake in ANZ. In turning down the ANZ bid, Branson said at a briefing in Melbourne that Virgin Blue will continue to operate independently despite the increasing pressures imposed on the relationship with his 49% partner in Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines. "It wasn't a question of price. Whatever was offered we would have rejected," he said. "Our feeling is we have something very special with Virgin Blue. I think it would be a sin to sell out, so we are not going to sell out."

QANTAS - Hopes to launch a new LOW COST International airline in September next year (2002). It will operate to destinations in Asia. The carrier is tight lipped on the name and livery of the carrier and it will be 100% owned by Qantas. Denis Adams, who was named last Thursday to lead Qantas's low-fare international airline, says the new Australian Airlines initially will target seven ports: Tahiti, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul, Shanghai, Fukuoka and Sapporo. Taipei also is being considered. Adams said these will be distinct markets for the two-class carrier and it will not cannibalize services currently flown by Qantas. "It will be a full-service airline because that is what it needs to be competitive," he said. "But the principal objective is to get the costs right, and we believe we have a tremendous advantage because we are starting from scratch." He said Australian will look to outsource some parts of the operation, which may be based in Brisbane. It will use a single aircraft type in an attempt to keep costs down and make routes profitable that would not be so with Qantas's cost base. - couldn't be in response to Virgin Blue's presence in the market eh?! ED.

Airlines Slash Fares to Entice Passengers. 
Aug 29 2001:Airline tickets got cheaper Monday, as four major U.S. airlines slashed fares in an effort to entice customers. Northwest Airlines led the charge, followed by American, Delta and United. Northwest announced discounts of up to 40 percent off typical "leisure fares," purchased 14 days in advance. "It's an effort to stimulate traffic in the fall travel season," said Northwest spokesman Kurt Ebenhoch. To get the discounts, passengers have to buy their tickets at least 14 days ahead of their flight, and travel must be completed before Dec. 20. The tickets must be bought by Sept. 14.

Northwest also said it would give an additional 5 percent discount on tickets purchased over the Internet -- either through its Web site or Orbitz.com, a discount Web site owned by several airlines. United, American and Delta said they would match Northwest's discounts on the same routes. The fare cuts will be made on domestic and international routes served by these airlines.

Under the new fare structure, Northwest is offering a $211 round-trip flight from New York's Kennedy to Chicago-O'Hare, with a stopover in Detroit. For the same price, United is offering a nonstop Chicago flight from LaGuardia. Airlines have been stung by a sharp decline in corporate travel. With business travelers often paying full fare, their patronage accounts for an estimated two-thirds of airline revenues. But those revenues fell more than 10 percent last month, their third consecutive monthly decline. "This year, when you see an unprecedented drop in corporate profits, we're seeing a huge cyclical decline in business travel," said Glenn Engel, an airline analyst at Goldman Sachs. "A year ago airlines were trying to turn away leisure customers. Now they're happy to get anybody."

It's had enough!: 
British Midland International - Having Hard Time opening new Transatlantic Routes - to challenge Bermuda II before EC Dateline:  Wednesday August 15, 2001     Arguing that "it's bad for transatlantic travelers, it's bad for business and it's bad for governments," bmi british midland said it will challenge the legitimacy of the US-UK Bermuda II bilateral agreement before the European Commission.

Under the 1977 agreement, only two UK and two US airlines are allowed to serve London Heathrow. The US airlines are American Airlines and United Airlines as successors, respectively, to TWA and Pan Am. The UK airlines are British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways. "We believe that [Bermuda II] flouts EU competition law," bmi Chairman Michael Bishop said in a statement.

Canada 3000 is suing Royal Aviation Chairman and President Michel LeBlanc and former CFO Roland Blais, alleging that the two conspired to inflate the value of Royal prior to its acquisition earlier this year by Canada 3000, which spent C$65 million ($42 million) for it. Canada 3000 is seeking C$45 million in damages.

Air Canada introduces thrice-weekly service between Toronto and Melbourne over Honolulu from Nov. 30 using 767-300ERs. At the same time it will boost capacity on its daily Vancouver-Honolulu-Sydney service by switching to a 284-seat A340 from a 212-seat 767-300.

American Eagle is launching new service between Raleigh/Durham and Newark Sept. 5. Entrance into this market puts even greater pressure on Raleigh-based Midway Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this week. American Eagle will serve the route with ERJ-135s with five daily roundtrips.

New Zealand softens stance on Singapore Airlines
Dateline:  Wednesday August 15, 2001     
New Zealand government appears to be softening its resistance to Singapore Airlines' assuming a higher stake in Air New Zealand, with Prime Minister Helen Clark now supporting the SIA option.

Delta Air Lines announced last week that it will discontinue service to Fairbanks Nov. 1. The airline, which operates year-round flights to Fairbanks from Anchorage and a second seasonal flight from Anchorage during fall and winter months, said it will not reinstate the seasonal flight but instead will end service completely after Oct. 31. Delta first began serving Fairbanks in 1987 as part of its merger with Western Air Lines. It will continue to serve Anchorage from its Salt Lake City hub.

Cebu Pacific Air announced plans to launch international services in Oct. The Philippine carrier reportedly is negotiating with Pegasus Aviation to lease two 757s with an option to upgrade to larger aircraft. Service is planned to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Guam, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Australia and South Korea. Cebu Pacific currently holds 31% of the domestic market and operates 12 DC-9s.

Hong Kong passenger departure tax will rise 60% from HK$50 to $80 from Oct. 1, according to a Hong Kong SAR government statement.

Air Afrique agrees to Air France bailout
Dateline:  Thursday August 16, 2001   Air Afrique officials have agreed to relinquish control of the beleaguered carrier to major shareholder Air France in return for a $60 million bailout.

American Airlines today is expected to announce a blocked-space codesharing agreement with Vietnam Airlines. American would not confirm the identity of the carrier, stating only that it would announce a marketing alliance with "a major Asian airline." There are no direct air services between the US and Vietnam, so the carriers will have to link via a third country in Europe or Asia.

Air Tahiti Nui will lease a second A340 and launch thrice-weekly service from Papeete to Paris via Los Angeles beginning Sept. 16. The addition of another A340 to Air Tahiti Nui's fleet will allow the carrier to double its Papeete-Los Angeles service from three to six flights weekly

Atlantic Southeast Airlines filed an application with US DOT Thursday requesting that South African Airways be allowed to place its code on select ASA flights. If approved, codeshare service would begin Sept. 1 on flights from Atlanta to Baltimore and Detroit and from Baltimore, Detroit and Pittsburgh to New York. Delta Air Lines currently offers daily nonstop codeshare service from New York JFK and Atlanta to Johannesburg and Cape Town aboard SAA.

Balkan Airlines is planning to re-start flights from Bulgaria's capital Sofia to Moscow, Athens, Istanbul and Pristina in Yugoslavia. The Debt laden carrier which was grounded on Feb 13th by a court appointed administrator resumed services to Heathrow on May 2nd and Dubai on May 19.

Jet Airways is acquiring 3 new 70 seat ATR 72 turbo props from South Africa based leasing firm Saf-air. The aircraft will be delivered to the Indian carrier in August September and December.

Aerolineas Agentinas is on the verge of being shut down steer clear unless you are the gambling type and like being stranded.
The airline files for bankruptcy protection
Dateline:  Monday June 25, 2001     
Argentina's flag carrier filed for bankruptcy protection last week after failing to convince its mechanics and inflight workers unions to accept a restructuring plan put forth by Spanish state holding company SEPI.

Northwest Airlines and Air China will begin codesharing services between Northwest's Memphis hub and Beijing and Shanghai. Under the agreement, Northwest passengers can fly from Memphis with one stop to either of the two Chinese cities on one ticket via connecting flights at 17 US cities.

Sabena finances under scrutiny again
Dateline:  Monday June 25, 2001     Sabena today, for the fourth time this year, will appear at the commercial court of Brussels to give an update on its financial situation and its business plan

Virgin Express. has completed a restructuring plan and is aiming to break even this year.

Easy -Jet may bid for part of the struggling french carrier AOM/Air Liberte in order to boost it's presence at Paris Orly. Swissair is seeking a buyer for the loss making airline but potential bidders have so far been deterred by managements failure to agree a restructuring plan with staff.

JETBLUE is to introduce scheduled low-fare services to 15 cities from Long beach, south Los Angeles from August. The carrier launched operations in Feb last year from New York JFK.

Virgin Blue is to launch a new service between Brisbane and Canberra on July 12 . The discount airline owned by Sir Richard Branson will initially operate one flight a day. Fares will start at A$99 one-way.

Excel Airways Another new entrant into the UK skies
www.excelairways.com Excel Airways’ maiden flight is on May 1st 2001and the airline is set to become fully operational during the same month with it’s fleet of Boeing 737-800s taking holidaymakers from Gatwick and Manchester to destinations in Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, The Canary Islands and Egypt. The airline will also be operating additional Boeing 767s during the peak season. If you had the  Ride Guide you would be able to get unsold seats at bargain prices on their flights.

Middle East Airlines Price Cuts
Mea is offering a cut-price London Heathrow Beirut r/t fare of £312.10 including taxes until 31 May 2001. MEA operate 5 flights a week on this route.

First Trans-Atlantic service from London Luton
Luton is introducing it's first ever direct transatlantic service with an Airtours charter to Orlando Sanford using the 374 seat Monarch Airlines A330 the fly drive and SEAT ONLY programme will operate from July 9 2001 to Oct. 1 out bound from the UK on Monday with Return on Tue. Passengers looking for seat only from either the UK or US should contact Airtours. www.airtours.co.uk 

TRANSAVIA Dutch Charter Airline
Added six new destinations to it's network. The Dutch carrier which is owned by KLM has started operating scheduled services from Amsterdam to Porto, Thessaloniki, and Milan (Linate) daily, plus three flights a week to Valencia. New Charter destinations are Rimini on the E coast of Italy and Athens. Transavia's scheduled ops now cover 22 destinations with charters to about 70 points. As always Chapter 2 "Tour Operators" will get you cheap seats on many of these flights.

BASIQ AIR Netherlands
Is to expand it's services with daily flights from Rotterdam to Barcelona and Nice. The Low Cost carrier was launched by Dutch Airline Transavia in December 2000 with daily flights to Barcelona and Nice. Basiq's Air network is likely to be expanded still further later this year.

Easy Jet Opens up another HUB in Amsterdam

Olympic Airways Greece is on the ropes.

Sabena has a stay of execution, they have found some money somewhere to continue to operate, still have a back-up plan if you plan, or adequate insurance to fly with them.

America West Vacations, an affiliate of America West 
Holdings' Leisure Company travel planning service, said its 
website, www.americawestvacations.com   reached $10 million in sales in its first 10 months of operation. The website, which began accepting bookings last June, has received 20 million page views and more than 25 million customers have booked vacations using it.

Air Tahiti Nui increased its service between New Zealand and Australia April 11 by two additional weekly flights from Papeete to Auckland and Sydney. It also began code-sharing with Qantas.

Comair cuts fleet, pilot positions as strike continues 
Dateline: Wednesday April 18, 2001 Delta Connection Comair is reducing the size of its fleet and eliminating some 200 pilot positions as it enters the fourth week of a pilot strike with no end in sight. Officials said the moves are aimed at preserving 
Comair's financial viability and repositioning it to be more competitive once the strike ends. Pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Assn., walked off the job shortly after midnight on March 26 after failing to reach a contract agreement.

Brazilian government in a surprise move ended fare regulation on routes between the nation's 11 largest airports serving eight cities. The routes account for some 13 million passengers annually and represent around 46% of the total domestic market. Brazil's domestic market is being shaken up by competition from new entrant Gol, which started operations last Jan.

CANADIAN LOW FARE CARRIER
CANJET A recent entrant into the monopolistic skies over eastern Canada, is following the proven mould of the likes of Southwest airlines and EasyJet - and is doing quite well. Just as the Australians are finding out, there is a need for low fares, and it's time to give the passenger a better deal. Canjet have some great special offers which are available till 31 March, bookmark their page www.canjet.ca 

TRAVELLERS WARNING SABENA March 3
Sabena the Belgian state airline is close to financial collapse, travellers are warned that if you hold a return ticket, that you get adequate travel insurance. Financial institutions have given the airline last minute operating capital to tyy and keep the airline afloat but it appears that this may not save the airline.

Qantas may attempt to test 'low-cost carrier' waters
Dateline:  Tuesday February 27, 2001     
Qantas is looking to establish a new low-cost airline subsidiary to expand into secondary international markets not currently being served by the group in the Asia/Pacific region.    

Ryanair unveils plans for new Brussels hub
Dateline:  Thursday March 01, 2001     
Ryanair announced Tuesday it will operate up to 30 daily flights from its new continental hub at Brussels South (Charleroi) to seven destinations in England (London Stansted), Ireland (Shannon, Dublin), Italy (Venice, Pisa), France (Carcassonne) and Scotland (Prestwick) beginning April 26.    

VIRGIN ATLANTIC JUNE START FOR YYZ TORONTO
Virgin's new service from London Gatwick to Toronto is all set for take off Juns 12. Fares which went on sale March 1st, start from GBP£347 return. We do not have  price from YYZ. The airline will operate daily Boeing747 departing 15.15 from LGW, and arriving 18.10 YYZ

CONTINENTAL LONGEST INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
Continental airlines launched the worlds longest nonstop flight march 1st. New York Hong Kong, an incredible 15hrs and 30 mins, the route over the north pole is 7,337 miles, and cuts 2 hours from previous flight times which included a stop.

US Airways Express will begin service between Memphis and Pittsburgh April 6. Affiliate Trans States Airlines will operate the service with a 50-seat ERJ-145. Trans States also will offer US Airways Express service from Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Charleston, W.Va., beginning April 1.

Aloha Airlines will add a Las Vegas leg to its new daily service between Honolulu and Orange County that starts May 1.

Comair will begin daily nonstop service between Cincinnati and Clarksburg/Fairmont/Bridgeport, W.Va., April 11 using a CRJ200

Pan Am, in conjunction with Carlson Wagonlit Travel/Turavia, will begin offering daily service between Orlando and San Juan and twice-weekly charter service between San Juan and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, May 24. As part of the strategic relationship between the parties, Carlson Wagonlit/Turavia will develop travel packages using Pan Am scheduled flights.

JetBlue Airways will add a second daily nonstop between New York JFK and Ontario, Calif., beginning in June.

TWA and Air Europa began codesharing today on nine flights between the US and Spain. Under the agreement, TWA will codeshare on Air Europa flights between New York JFK and Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Majorca and Malaga. Air Europa will codeshare on TWA flights from JFK to Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis, Orlando and Miami

Continental Express will begin nonstop service between White Plains and Boston and Toronto April 4. It will begin service between LaGuardia and Grand Rapids, Mich., May 2.

US Airways Express will replace Jetstream 32s with Dash 8s on its thrice-daily services between Columbus, Ga., and its Charlotte hub from Feb. 4. Service is operated by Piedmont Airlines, a subsidiary of US Airways.

British Midland loses the caps in new look
British Midland revealed its new name and livery yesterday. The revamp to bmi british midland and a blue, red and white color scheme will cost £15 million. The new corporate identity was developed in readiness for the airline’s launch of scheduled services from Manchester to Washington, D.C., April 30 and to Chicago May 12.

BUZZ LOW FARE CARRIER NEW ROUTES
Until June 30th, Buzz has return fares of GBP £60 to Lyon Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Frankfurt. Buzz starts Hamburg, Bordeaux, Marseilles and Helsinki flights on March 26 with Jerez, Montpellier, and Toulouse services beginning April 1st.
As always, when carriers start new routes great fares are offered to stimulate business, especially FROM the country that is not the airlines home base.

EASYJET is taking steps in creating a new hub in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, the low cost carrier recently launched services from the Dutch airport to Edinburgh, Belfast and Nice.

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