KLM TO ADD LUANDA LINK
Dutch national carrier KLM is to inaugurate flights to the Angolan capital Luanda on November 14, its fifth new long-haul destination to be added during the forthcoming Northern Winter schedule. The airline will offer two flights per week from Amsterdam using a Boeing 777-200 configured with 318 passengers - 35 in World Business Class and 283 in Economy Class. It has already announced that it will also serve Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Havana and Punta Cana this winter. The twice weekly link to Africa will strengthen KLM’s presence in the continent, an area that is of key importance to the carrier and its partner Air France. The French national carrier already offers two flights per week from Paris CDG to Luanda and the KLM schedule has been developed to complement this existing service. KLM can expect a high yield on this new route as Luanda is a key oil destination. Approximately 645,000 O&D passengers currently fly from Europe to Angola every year, with Air France currently holding a 6.8 per cent share of this market. In the last year the airline carried an estimated 9,000 O&D passengers between Paris CDG and Luanda, each paying $1,719 each way.
EASTERN AIRWAYS BOOSTS STAVANGER LINKS
UK regional carrier Eastern Airways has inaugurated flights between Glasgow and the Norwegian city of Stavanger, adding to its existing flights from Aberdeen and Newcastle. The airline launched a three times weekly service on the morning of September 12, operated by a 50-seat Saab 2000, and is the only current link to Stavanger from the Scottish city. It says it will monitor the service and potentially increase frequency if there is demand for additional flights. Eastern has been serving the Norwegian market from the UK since 2007 supporting the strong oil and gas industry traffic between the two countries. “A new convenient route to Stavanger from Glasgow will not only benefit offshore workers who live in central Scotland, but also Norwegian contractors and businesses with links in Glasgow and the surrounding region,” explained Kay Ryan, Commercial Director, Eastern Airways. An estimated 404,000 O&D passengers travel between the UK and Stavanger every year and Eastern Airways currently accounts for a 12.2 per cent share of this traffic. It offers up to 13 flights per week from Aberdeen, a route also served by SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Wideroe, and five flights per week from Newcastle, a route also served by Wideroe.
NEW CHANNEL ISLANDS LINK FROM MANCHESTER
UK regional carrier Blue Islands is to offer a new service between Manchester and Jersey this winter with onward connections to Guernsey on the same aircraft, enhancing links between the UK mainland and the Channel Islands. The new flight will operate on a daily basis from October 31 and will complement existing links by Flybe to Jersey and Aurigny to Guernsey – bmibaby also currently offers flights between Manchester and Jersey, but it will suspend the route when it closes its base at the northwest UK airport at the end of the summer. “Manchester is a key UK destination for Channel Island passengers who use the airport as a gateway to the North of England, therefore it is important that this route remains to serve the market demand,” said Rob Veron, Managing Director, Blue Islands. Flybe currently offers up to nine flights a week between Manchester and Jersey, while Aurigny has a twice daily non-stop link to Guernsey. An estimated 101,000 O&D passengers travelled between Manchester and Jersey in the past year, with around 59 per cent of these passengers using the soon to be discontinued bmibaby service. Around 73,000 O&D passengers travelled between Manchester and Guernsey during the same period. “The Channel Islands are very popular destinations and we know that our passengers will be pleased that these remain part of our network,” added Andrew Harrison, Managing Director, Manchester Airport. “Blue Islands brings ‘welcome differences’ of no baggage or card charges, which will make a real impact. I’m sure that this service will be very successful and I look forward to working with Blue Islands.” Founded in 2006, Blue Islands connects the Channel Islands to a number of UK and European destinations including Southampton, Zurich, Geneva, Isle of Man and more recently London City, Bristol and now Manchester.
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