Tiger Airways Australia to Open Sydney Base
Tiger Airways Australia is to boost its domestic operations with the launch of a second base at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport from early July 2012 as it grows its network to the levels it formerly offered prior to its short-term closure last year by safety authorities. The airline was grounded between July and August last year by the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and has faced an enforced operational cap since it returned to the sky which has meant around a third of its fleet has remained on the ground. With a relaxation of the terms of this operational cap over the coming months, the three Airbus A320s currently parked will be used to progressively open the new base in Sydney launching flights from July 1, 2012. The airline already offers nine flights per day to/from Sydney but between July and September will introduce up to ten additional daily flights providing up to 3,600 extra seats per day from the city. “This is a win-win for both consumers wanting more low fares as well as for domestic tourism,” said Andrew David, Chief Executive Officer, Tiger Airways Australia. “The business goal was to have all ten aircraft operating in Australia by second half of 2012 and this news proves we’re on track. An eleventh aircraft will be deployed to Australia by August 2012 and further network developments will be announced in due course.” The first aircraft will enter service from July 1 to introduce a daily flight between Sydney and Gold Coast and to increase the frequency of flights to Melbourne from seven to nine return services per day. The arrival of the second based aircraft will enable the Gold Coast route to grow to up to three flights per day and a twice daily service to be introduced from Sydney to Brisbane, while the third will enter service from September 1 at which time frequencies on the Brisbane and Gold Coast routes will both increase to four rotations per day. Tiger Airways Australia will face strong competition on all three routes - on the Brisbane route there are already 52,000 seats per week in each direction; Gold Coast sees almost 27,000 weekly seats and Melbourne just under 100,000 of which Tiger Airways Australia currently accounts for just over seven per cent of the total.
Flydubai to Add Link to Yemen
United Arab Emirates low-cost carrier Flydubai is to launch flights between Dubai International Airport and El Rahaba Airport, the main international gateway into Sana’a, the capital of the Republic of Yemen. The route is already served by the budget carrier’s sister operation Emirates Airline as well as local national carrier Yemenia. Flydubai will offer a four times weekly service on the route from April 22, 2012. The UAE has recorded Dhs500m worth of exports annually to Yemen between 2007 and 2010, and in recent years the two countries have developed trade and collaborations, particularly in the areas of medical services, agriculture, infrastructure and real estate. Sana’a, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, is Yemen's largest city, political and administrative centre and home to around 30 per cent of the country's industrial establishments. "We are delighted to add Yemen to our expanding Middle East network and are deeply grateful to the Yemeni authorities for their support,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, Flydubai at this week’s route launch. “Flydubai's low-cost direct connection will provide travellers with an easy link to Sana'a, in turn driving tourism and investment to this historically-rich and culturally-vibrant city." In the past year an estimated 82,000 O&D passengers travelled between Dubai and Sana’a, up 6.0 per cent on 2010. During this period Emirates Airline has seen its own share of the traffic slip from 62 to 39 per cent as Yemenia has boosted its own share from 35 to 56 per cent. The arrival of Flydubai, as has been the case in its other markets, will stimulate the market and will enable the Emirates Group to enhance its position. The new budget flight offering will provide alternative options for travelers on the route and the UAE strong access to business and investment opportunities in Yemen, while at the same time strengthening Yemen's links to the wider international community. In parallel to developing its industrial, commercial, and economic capabilities, Yemen is also working towards bolstering leisure tourism by preserving some of its architectural and historic gems, and developing the associated infrastructure including hospitality and transport. "Historically, the UAE and Yemen have enjoyed strong socio-political and cultural ties. By increasing direct airlinks between the two countries, we aim to boost trade and tourism, taking bilateral relations to the next level," added Ghaith Al Ghaith. With the addition of Sana'a, Flydubai will expand its Middle East route map to eleven countries - Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen.
Palau Airways Prepares for Take-Off
Asian start-up carrier Palau Airways has tentatively set April 11, 2012 as its planned launch date after finalising the lease of a single Boeing 757-200. The carrier plans to operate a three times weekly service between Koror and Taipei Taoyuan, increasing to a five times weekly schedule from May 1, 2012. The new airline, although headquartered in the small nation of Palau, is understood to have its operational base in Taiwan. The Republic of Palau is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 800 km east of the Philippines. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau announced independence and instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, it became one of the world's youngest and smallest sovereign states in 1993. The nation has a population of approximately 21,000, of whom 70% are native Palauans and its economy consists primarily of tourism, subsistence agriculture, and fishing. The new link from Palau Airways will place it in direct competition with China Airlines, while TransAsia Airways also provides seasonal charter links into Palau’s Roman Tmetuchl International Airport from the Taiwanese capital. An estimated 49,000 O&D passengers travelled on this route in 2011, up a massive 181.1 per cent on the previous year. Alongside the link to Taipei, Palau is also served by Asiana Airlines and Korean Air from Seoul Incheon; United Airlines from Guam, Manila and Yap and Delta Air Lines from Tokyo (on a seasonal basis only).
Astral Aviation Offers Freight Link to Mogadishu
Kenyan cargo carrier Astral Aviation is to launch what it claims to be the first scheduled freight link into the Somalia’s capital Mogadishu this month as the risk factor of flying into the city has reduced over the past few months. The airline will offer a weekly flight from its Nairobi base from March 14, 2012 using one of its Douglas DC-9 freighters. The aircraft provides up to 15 tonnes of cargo capacity. The service is expected to provide an alternate to the limited belly capacity and sea-freight options that currently operate into Mogadishu, and will be complemented with connectivity from Europe, Middle East, Asia and South Africa via Astral's GSA's, Interline Partners and Freight Forwarders. Astral has experience of flying into Somalia having operated various charters for relief cargoes between August 2011 and January 2012 but expects a many inbound demand to Mogadishu as the there are very little exports from Somalia. “The reason for the expansion into Somalia is to meet the increase in demand for aid and relief cargo in addition to cargoes which will be required by the peace-keeping missions which are being enhanced in Somalia,” the carrier’s Chief Executive Officer, Sanjeev Gadhia told The HUB. “This market has excellent growth opportunities but has been under-served due to limited air cargo and shipping options hence we foresee an increase in demand and a possible second frequency.” According to Astral’s Operations Director, Michael Mutahi, the risk factor of flying into Mogadishu has been “significantly reduced due to the improved security in and around the airport”. Furthermore, the airport is being managed by a professional company, SKA Arabia, who has the equipment, personnel and the fuel to provide an efficient service to arriving operators. The Mogadishu route will be the 6th scheduled destination in Astral's intra-African network which includes Juba, Mwanza, Dar-es-salaam, Entebbe and Kigali. The airline offers weekly links to Entebbe and Kigali, twice weekly flights to Dar-es-salaam and Mwanza and from February 1, 2012 added a third weekly rotation to Juba in South Sudan. Astral Aviation is planning to further expand its intra-African network with the possible arrival of new aircraft this year facilitating this growth. The Nairobi-based venture currently has a fleet of three Douglas DC-9 Freighters and access to Boeing 727 and 737 models as well as some smaller regional turboprop types. However, it is planning to acquire up to six McDonnell Douglas MD-83SFs to replace the DC-9s and for expansion across the continent. It plans to fly to a number of new markets and has highlighted Angola, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe for future development. Alongside its scheduled operations Astral Aviation also offers charter capacity and has been involved in a number of emergency relief operations in Africa most notably the Niamey Famine, the Darfur Crisis, the Southern Sudan Relief Operations, the Mozambique & Madagascar Floods, the Eastern Congo Crisis, the Goma Volcano Eruption, and Humanitarian Crises in Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Wellington International Drops Passenger Departure Fee
Wellington International Airport has announced that it will drop the International Departure Fee that is currently payable by passengers on overseas flights from April 1, 2012. The surcharge, known to many as the Departure Tax, has been in place for more than 20 years but has been removed as part of a new pricing document that will be introduced by the airport this year. The new charges scheme has been agreed following extensive consultation with airline partners and will cover a five year period from April 1, 2012. “The new price structure means international charges will reduce by $1.72 per passenger each year in real terms. Domestic charges will increase on average by 74c each year. Overall, the average fees per passenger will increase by 41c or 3.6% per year in real terms,” explained Matt Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Wellington International Airport. The new arrangement will keep travel to and from Wellington “competitive”, according to the airport and will see international charges decline by a potential 39 per cent over the five year period. The reduction in international charges combined with incentives for growth is expected to help promote new routes and additional services to the city. “Improving the traveller experience is important to us and removing the departure fee will make it easier for all passengers travelling internationally. Taking away the need to join the queue and pay the fee is a big step forward,” said Steve Sanderson, Chief Executive Officer, Wellington International Airport. According to Sanderson, the final prices place Wellington’s charges “in between” Auckland and Christchurch Airports and in “the lower range” of Australasian Airports in terms of cost per passenger. “This is a productive and workable outcome for airlines, passengers and our shareholders, which include all Wellington City ratepayers,” he added. The airport has also confirmed a plan to invest $65m in aeronautical assets over the five-year period. Following the opening of the Airport’s dual use terminal, The Rock, the next significant capital development will be the Southern Terminal expansion which will provide increased gate lounge space and new toilets and the expansion of the Southern Apron increasing aircraft capacity to accommodate growth. This month the airport will handle around 800 weekly flights offering more than 63,000 seats. Its network is currently significantly biased towards the domestic market which accounts for 86.1 per cent of seat capacity. Air New Zealand is the dominant carrier at Wellington International with a 76.7 per cent share of the total capacity, with Auckland and Christchurch the largest destinations with 36.1 per cent and 17.9 per cent shares of the total weekly seat capacity, respectively.
Related Content
