Having seen the golden age of travel of the 1950s to 1970s develop into the age of mass travel from the late 1970s as more liberal agreements led to intense competition, fare-cutting, affordable ‘class’ options and the arrival of low-cost airlines, we are now entering the age of traveller power, according to Amadeus IT Group.
The resumption of the non-stop seasonal service between Auckland and Osaka by Air New Zealand between November 2016 and March 2017 will contribute an estimated $24 million to the New Zealand economy, during the operation, according to Auckland Airport.
The return of the Hong Kong – Phnom Penh operation will place Hong Kong Airlines in competition with Dragonair, which will soon be renamed Cathay Dragon to emphasise its relationship with Hong Kong’s largest air carrier, Cathay Pacific. It also offers flights between Hong Kong and Siem Reap in Cambodia, a market that HK Express introduced in September 2015.
The relocation of domestic operations to T2 is part of Jet Airways' strategic commitment to develop Indian airports as hubs, providing greater connectivity on its domestic and international networks. Jet Airways operates over 135 daily flights out of Mumbai to destinations in India and around the world.
The airline has already announced numerous new routes for 2016 and additional capacity in some of its existing markets, but is attending Routes Asia in Manila, Philippines to seek alternative growth destinations. This will mainly cover the North and South East Asia markets, which it has earmarked as offering the best opportunities for sustainable development.
The introduction of the sub-brand will enable AZAL to compete with both full-service and the developing low-cost market in the country. Turkish Airlines’ affiliate Anadolu Jet already operates flights to the regions of Azerbaijan and from the end of this month Wizz Air will resume flights between Budapest and Baku.
Emirates already operates three daily A380 flights into Auckland but up until March 1, 2016 these all operated on a direct, one-stop basis via Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. In late January this year it revealed plans to introduce this fourth rotation, the first to operate non-stop between Dubai and Auckland, providing more efficient connectivity between New Zealand and markets across the Middle East, Africa and in to Europe.
The new service will provide 245,000 additional seats per year and is expected to generate an estimated 3,000 jobs in New South Wales and contribute more than AUD$240 million to the local economy. The new service will also provide 84 tonnes of cargo capacity per week in and out of the New South Wales (NSW) capital.
The surge in passengers has been driven by improving yields with seat load factor reaching a high of 86 per cent. This was particularly evident in the airline’s growing international network but was also buoyed by strong domestic sales.
Under the current agreement, US airlines have a total of four slot pairs (four arrivals and four departures) for service to and from Haneda, which are now restricted to use during nighttime hours. Under the proposed amendment, these four slot pairs would be transferred to daytime hours. In addition, a fifth daytime slot pair for scheduled service to and from Haneda would be added and US airlines would be able to continue operating one nighttime slot pair.
Philippine Airlines will configure its A350-900s with a premium three class layout and plans to operate the aircraft on non-stop flights from Manila to the US west coast and New York, as well as on services to new destinations in Europe. The aircraft will enable the carrier to operate non-stop service on the 8,000 nautical mile Manila – New York route all year round with a full passenger load.
The air service development team at Dublin Airport have identified a number of unserved markets in Asia that can sustain regular scheduled flights to the Republic of Ireland’s capital city and are attending Routes Asia in Manila, Philippines to fill these network gaps. It particularly sees a notable role for Asia’s Star Alliance members at Dublin Airport having grown the number of airline members using the airport from this summer.
The value of air service as an economic generator is particular obvious in island locations. Routesonline spoke to Matthew Findlay ahead of his recent move to Australia about his experiences in New Zealand, where geography means most international connections involve a long-haul flight.
On the eve of this year’s Routes Asia air service development forum it was revealed in Australia that the 2018 event will take place in Brisbane. The news was announced as delegates were arriving in Manila, Philippines for this year’s event. The 2017 Routes Asia will take place in Okinawa, Japan.
Strategically located close to Africa – one of their biggest trade partners – Tenerife is the perfect choice to host Routes Africa 2016. The Government of the island are dedicated to promoting connectivity within Africa.
An estimated 240,000 two-way passengers a year are currently flying between Europe and Fort Myers, according to MIDT data for 2014. The German market accounted for 54.4 percent of this demand ahead of the United Kingdom and Switzerland – the only other country markets to have annual flows of more than 10,000 passengers.
The Asian carrier has configured the A350-900 in a 253-seat arrangement across three classes – 42 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 187 in Economy. It currently has orders for 67 A350-900s having placed an additional order for four aircraft last year. Seven of these will now be delivered with an Ultra-Long Range capability for flights of up to 19 hours.
BRA, an acronym for the operator and also the Swedish word for ‘good’, will bring together the operations of Malmö Aviation, Golden Air and the six airlines of Sverigeflyg (Gotlandsflyg, Kullaflyg, Blekingeflyg, Kalmarflyg, Flysmåland and Sundsvallsflyg. Together they will form Sweden’s largest domestic carrier by destinations served with an approximate market share of 30 per cent.
After last year becoming the first Haitian airline to be awarded a Part 129 Operating Permit which upgraded its activities from ad-hoc/charter services to scheduled status, the introduction of an ATR 42 will allow Sunrise to serve longer haul routes more effectively in its Western Caribbean route network.
Ecuador is growing in stature as a major emerging regional tourism destination in South America. And the future for Quito is looking bright, with over $87 million in hotel investment announced over the next 10 years.
The airline, founded in 2010, has launched a route from Los Angeles International Airport to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This direct service will tap into a growing market that has been unserved since 2014.
daa International, a subsidiary of daa – the Irish airport management company – has been chosen to operate the new terminal at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh. The multi-million euro contract will see daa International manage and operate the new Terminal 5 facility.
At airport management company, ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal, the positive fortunes of the country are clear to see. The Portuguese business group responsible for the management of airports in Mainland Portugal, in the Azores and Madeira, as well as facilities in other countries, handled 38.9 million passengers across its Portugal network in 2015, up 11.4 per cent on the previous year. All airports within the ANA Group reported record annual results during 2015.
