JetBlue Strengthens San Juan Services
JetBlue Airways has announced it will offer new summer 2012 links to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) from San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport (SJU), expanding its network from the Puerto Rico capital to 13 destinations. "The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has overwhelmingly supported JetBlue service from day one. Our customers appreciate the value that JetBlue provides when traveling," said John Checketts, Director of Route Planning, JetBlue Airways. "San Juan is the cornerstone of our growth in the Caribbean; today's announcement reinforces that commitment. As Puerto Rico's number one carrier, JetBlue continues to seek growth opportunities." As John Checketts acknowledged, JetBlue is one of the largest carriers in the Puerto Rico market. In the past year it carried more than two million passengers into and out of Puerto Rico giving it a 23.9 per cent share of the international O&D traffic, second only to American Airlines which holds a 28.2 per cent share. JetBlue will offer a daily service on the two new routes with flights to Newark Liberty International beginning on April 25, 2012 and the link to Palm Beach International commencing on May 15, 2012. It is estimated that the latter service to PBI will bring approximately 15,000 more hotel guests and 20,000 room nights to Palm Beach County, totaling $7million in direct economic impact. This is the second new route that JetBlue will introduce to Palm Beach International Airport next year following the planned inauguration of the facility’s first ever non-stop connection to Hartford in January 2012. Air Canada is also adding a second Toronto flight in a further boost for the airport. “The announcement of this new service to San Juan clearly demonstrates the potential our airline partners see in our destination- particularly partners such as JetBlue,” said Bruce Pelly, Director of Airports, Palm Beach County. “We are thrilled to be entering a new market and are confident its anticipated success will open even more doors into more markets for Palm Beach International Airport.”
THY and TAM Agree Codeshare
Turkish Airlines (THY) and Brazilian carrier TAM Airlines have signed a codeshare partnership enhancing air service connectivity between Europe and Latin America. Under the scope of the partnership both carriers will be able to market designated flights on the partner airline, expanding their own network offering in the process. Under the terms of the deal THY will place its ‘TK’ code on flights by TAM from Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu Falls, Porto Alegre and Brasilia as well as its long-haul services from Sao Paulo to Madrid. Meanwhile, TAM Airlines will place its ‘JJ’ code on THY’s link from Istanbul to Sao Paulo as well as its Istanbul – Madrid route, adding connectivity to its own long-haul flight. For THY the arrangement will provide it with enhanced links in the Brazilian market at a key time as the country will be hosting the next FIFA World Cup in 2014, and the Olympic Games in 2016.
Allegiant Airlines Boosts Domestic US Offering
US leisure carrier Allegiant Air has announced plans to further expand its domestic US network during 2012 with the addition of new links from Orlando Sanford International to Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport in Maryland, Gary/Chicago International Airport in Indianapolis and Niagara Falls in New York. The airline will offer at least twice weekly flights on each of the routes using McDonnell Douglas MD-80 equipment. Allegiant Air has expanded its network during the current year and in November reported a 6.4 per cent increase in passenger numbers on its scheduled routes, having increased available seat kilometers by 6.6 per cent during the same month, versus November last year. It has also recently agreed to purchase 13 McDonnell Douglas MD-80s from SAS Scandinavian Airlines for delivery in 2012 and 2013 to support its growth. The new route to Gary Chicago International Airport, which serves the Northwest Indiana and the wider Chicago metropolitan areas will commence on February 15, 2012. The airport has had no direct scheduled services since ultra low-cost carrier Skybus Airlines suspended operations in April 2008. The same day, Allegiant Air will inaugurate flights to Niagara Falls International Airport, which will be served four times weekly. The airline last week introduced its first link to the joint civil-military public-use airport from St Petersburg-Clearwater. “We're pleased to bring an affordable and convenient travel option to Gary and expand our options in Niagara Falls,” said Andrew C Levy, President, Allegiant Travel Company. “We are confident that the Gary community and residents of Niagara Falls and southern Ontario will appreciate flying non-stop to Orlando and take advantage of the great deals we offer on hotels, car rentals and theme park tickets.” Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY) in Maryland, located on the Delmarva Peninsula, will be added to the Allegiant Air network from Orlando Sanford on February 16, 2012. The airport is the only commercial gateway on the Delmarva peninsula providing important connectivity to Salisbury, the largest city on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
GOL Introduces Interline Agreement with Webjet
Brazilian carrier GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes has confirmed that it will rationalise its own network and those of its subsidiaries VRG Linhas Aéreas and Webjet as part of a new interline agreement between the airlines. GOL, the largest low-cost carrier in Latin America, announced the acquisition of Webjet in July this year but the companies are continuing to operate as separate entities while awaiting the operation’s approval from CADE, Brazil’s anti-trust authority. The new arrangement will enable passengers to purchase Webjet tickets through GOL and VRG sales channels and incorporate Webjet flights into wider itineraries. “One of the great advantages of this agreement is that clients transferring from GOL flights to Webjet flights will only have to check in once and send their baggage to the final destination, as well as for Webjet passengers in connections with GOL flights” said Marcelo Bento, Alliance and Profitability Officer, GOL. However, as part of the deal GOL has confirmed that the operators’ route networks will be cut to avoid overlap, but these will allow frequencies to be increased in other markets where demand is strong and enable additional destinations to be served.
Related Content
