Routes Update

By Poppy Marello
Qatar Airways has announced Frankfurt as its first ever commercial flight using its Airbus A350 Xtra Wide Body (XWB).
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
The Greek airline has released its summer 2015 schedule to include a total of 38 new routes. The Star alliance carrier initially released 23 new routes in September, followed by a further three at the beginning of October and an additional 12 today (October 20, 2014).
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
Air Transat have released their timetable for summer 2015 to include a direct service from Montréal to Budapest, and from St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador) to London.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Although Jota Aviation plans to initially establish its jet operations with the single BAe 146-200 it is already looking to the future and could even add a second aircraft before the end of 2014, although more likely in summer 2015, with a third example also an option for next year.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Amsterdam is already one of easyJet’s most successful network points with more than 3.5 million passengers flying annually to and from 21 destinations. It revealed earlier this year its plans to open a base at Schiphol Airport to further strengthen the airline’s long term strategic position at the airport, where it now holds a nine per cent market share having first introduced flights back in 1996.
Airports & Networks

By Victoria Jones
World Routes in Chicago was only a month ago but now is the time for the route development community to begin planning for 2015! The Routes business
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
SWISS International Airlines will be adding 20 new Zurich routes as well as launching a new-look cabin on its European Airbus fleet from November 2014 onwards.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
As the gateway to the stunning temples of Angkor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Siem Reap is a hugely popular resort town, which has been attracting more and more Vietnamese tourists in recent years. This new direct route linking Hanoi with Siem Reap will tap demand for travel between the two hubs while further boosting the development of trade and tourism between Vietnam and Cambodia.
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
Edelweiss Air, Switzerland’s leading leisure airline has announced its expanding Summer 2015 timetable.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
First reported by our schedules blog, Airline Route, the initial plan for summer 2015 and winter 2015/2016 suggests BA switching the operational aircraft on three routes. Its daily London Heathrow – Seoul Incheon route and six times weekly London Heathrow – Montreal link will be switched from 777-200ERs to the 787-8, while the daily London Heathrow – Austin service will see a 787-8 replaced by a 777-200ER.
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has expressed its disappointment with the regulator’s final decision to decrease airport charges, after they made the decision to keep charges flat over the next five years.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
The airline will introduce new routes to Alicante and Naples (a new market and return of a former destination) and boost frequencies to Dalaman and Faro as it offers 28 weekly flights from Leeds Bradford to ten sun and city destinations across Europe during the summer 2015 schedule.
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
With the recent disappearance of Kim Jong-Un, we took a look at how the state-owned national flag carrier of North Korea- Air Koryo, is being maintained.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
The proposed new route is due to launch on March 7, 2015 and Southwest Airlines has initially opened reservations for the first month of operations through to April 6, 2015. According to Southwest it anticipates strong point-to-point flows on the first-ever non-stop service on this routing but will also facilitate connections with 17 additional cities in the US via its Baltimore/Washington base.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Air services between Europe and Edmonton, the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and a developing cultural, governmental and educational centre, have been limited over recent years and the introduction of this additional transatlantic connection will help facilitate the growing long-haul demand for travel to and from the city.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
The new link will provide the first regular link between East Africa and Dublin and will mark the return of flights between the Irish capital and Los Angeles, a market last served by Aer Lingus in November 2008. This will strengthen Ireland’s connectivity to the west coast of the United States, with California a major market for Irish tourism.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Having already secured a strong position in the domestic Mexican market, Volaris has been focussing on developing its international network. With the addition of its new service to Reno and previously announced link to Fort Lauderdale it will serve 17 international destinations with 38 routes by year-end. These are targeted at travellers wishing to visit friends and family on both sides of the border providing better travel options for the Hispanic communities in these regions.
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
Thomson Airways are to increase their long-haul capacity and fly to new destinations, including the only direct flight from the UK to Costa Rica in November 2015.
Airports & Networks

By Victoria Jones
In 2015 the 8 th Routes Americas will take place on 1-3 February in Denver, Colorado marking the first time that the event has taken place in the US
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Today, Emirates fleet investment in Africa tops $7 billion with operating costs of over $2 billion and it currently operates to 22 passenger and six dedicated freighter destinations in Africa perating over 160 flights across the continent each week, connecting African economies and markets with Dubai and beyond to a global network of over 140 major cities.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
The charity is currently running an appeal in line with World Sight Day 2014 to help eliminate avoidable blindness in Ethiopia, which has one of the highest rates of vision loss in the world. One of the conditions the appeal will raise money to tackle is trachoma which was wiped out in the UK 60 years ago, but is still the leading global cause of infectious blindness. Ethiopia has one of the highest known rates of the disease in the world.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Air India plans to operate a four times weekly schedule from October 14, 2014 using an ATR 42 of its subsidiary Air India Regional, formerly Alliance Air. It says the new route will “provide quick and convenient connection to government officials, business travellers, students and tourists, among others”.
Airports & Networks

By Poppy Marello
Lufthansa have revealed the release dates for their new Premium Economy Service, beginning this December.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
UK leisure carrier Jet2.com, the largest operator at Blackpool Airport, has already revealed it will move its entire operation to Manchester Airport from October 10, 2014, while Aer Lingus Regional and Citywing will maintain services to Dublin, Belfast City and the Isle of Man until the closure of the airport on October 15, 2014.
Airports & Networks

By Richard Maslen
Icelandic carrier WOW air is to launch a new year-round link between Reykjavik and Dublin from next summer. The three times weekly route will commence on June 2, 2015 and will be the first scheduled service between the two cities.
Airports & Networks