Qatar Airways Announces Major Expansion in Iran
Qatar Airways has revealed a dramatic expansion in Iran, with reports that the carrier could be launching domestic services within the country in partnership with a local carrier. The Middle East carrier currently offers 21 flights per week into the country from its Doha International Airport base, however over a four month period it will boost capacity by around 150 per cent, adding a further 31 and introducing a fourth destinations, the Central Iranian city of Isfahan. Alongside the previously announced daily service to Isfahan, which will launch on January 11, 2012, the capital Tehran will be served with an additional daily flight; Iran’s second largest city of Mashhad is to get nine extra flights, and Shiraz, the economic centre of southern Iran, will be given eight new flights. An estimated 194,000 passengers were carried on the airline’s existing network from Iran. Around 49.9 per cent of these passengers are beginning or ending their journey in Doha, the rest connecting via the Middle East hub to other destinations across Qatar Airways’ global network. The largest traffic flows are to Bahrain (5.3 per cent), Sweden (4.2 per cent), the UK (3.8 per cent), Saudi Arabia (3.4 per cent) and Oman (3.4 per cent) supporting the large Iranian expatriate community in these parts of the world. Qatar Airways currently offers just two flights per week to Shiraz, but will increase to a daily schedule on December 1 and will add the further three weekly flights from March next year. This route is also served by Iran Air on a weekly basis, with around 16,000 O&D passengers travelling between the two destinations. The additional nine weekly flights to Mashhad, increasing from five flights to a double daily schedule, and the third daily rotation to Tehran will be introduced in March 2012. An estimated 25,000 O&D passengers flew between Doha and Mashhad last year and around 69,000 between Doha and Tehran. All the additional flights will be operated using Airbus 320s configured with 12 Business Class and 132 Economy seats. Qatar Airways began flying to Iran in 2004 with the launch of services to Tehran. Flights to Mashhad started the following year, with Shiraz introduced to the network just five months ago. It has high hopes for its new route to Isfahan, with anticipated strong business and leisure demand. Isfahan, home to textile and steel mills and located on the country’s main north-south and east-west crossroads, is the heartbeat of central Iran’s economy. With fine historic Islamic architecture, palaces and tree-lined wide boulevards, the city is regarded as one of the most beautiful in the Middle East. “This announcement is an historic moment showing the strengthening of ties between our two countries,” said Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Airways. “We have been working with the authorities in Iran for increased capacity across the country and delighted to have reached agreement.” Qatar Airways makes no mention of plans to launch flights within Iran, however a number of Middle Eastern newspapers and international newswires include stories on the subject. It is understood that the airline has requested permission to operate internally within Iran and that it is now working with local carriers to establish codeshare arrangements to comply with existing laws. The Iranian aviation sector has been hit hard by US sanctions, which have left a shrinking, dilapidated fleet unable to keep pace with demand. "The agreements have been done and the time of implementation of this agreement will be announced by the roads and urban development ministry," the deputy minister in that ministry tasked with transport, Shahriar Afandizadeh, was quoted as saying by the ISNA agency.
Cimber Sterling Launches Flights to Kiev
Danish carrier Cimber Sterling has launched a 12 times weekly link between Copenhagen and Kiev, bringing competition to a route already served by Ukrainian carrier Aerosvit Airlines. An estimated 32,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route in the past year, but with weekly frequencies now almost doubling from the planned 14 a week of Aerosvit Airlines to 26 a week this winter, demand is expected to grow significantly. Cimber Sterling is using one of its Boeing 737-700s on the route.
Changi Airports to Support Russian Airport Development
Changi Airports International (CAI), Basic Element Group, and LLC Sberbank Investments, a subsidiary of Sberbank, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture to invest in and develop airports in Russia. CAI will hold 30%, Basic Element will hold 50% plus one share, and LLC Sberbank Investments will hold 20% minus one share in the joint venture. The purpose of the joint enterprise is to further develop a cluster of airports that Basic Element owns in the Krasnodar region, including Sochi and Krasnador, to improve levels of service to meet international standards, increase capitalisation of the assets and also to expand the portfolio of airport assets. The Krasnodar region is an established domestic tourism destination and an important agro-industrial centre of Russia. The region will be hosting Winter Olympics-2014, Formula 1 Motor Racing from 2015 and the FIFA World Cup in 2018 so there is tremendous potential for growth.
Etihad Launches Links to Maldives and Seychelles
Etihad Airways inaugurated flights between Abu Dhabi and the Republic of the Maldives of November 1, with its flight receiving a ‘colourful’ welcome in Malé with a traditional water cannon salute and local Bodu beru (big drum) dancers and singers performing on the tarmac. The airline is offering a daily service on the route and reveals that advanced bookings since its launch earlier this year indicate the route is already becoming one of the most popular in the airline’s global network. This was followed one day later on November 2 by the launch of a four times daily service between Abu Dhabi and Mahé, the capital of the Seychelles. “We look forward to developing strong ties between the UAE and the Maldives and the Seychelles and take our responsibility to bring more people to this part of the world very seriously,” said James Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways. “They are such highly desirable destinations for our customers, not only from Abu Dhabi but also from Europe.”
Air Astana to Add Links to Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh
Kazakhstan carrier Air Astana is to boost its position in the Asian market by increasing frequencies on some of its existing routes and launching flights to additional destinations. The airline, a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna JSC National Welfare Fund (51 per cent) and British company BAE Systems (49 per cent), will expand its fleet to facilitate this network expansion, with the first stage being the arrival of a fifth Boeing 757-200 next month. This aircraft will be used to boost flights on some of its existing routes from Almaty from December, with additional rotations to three major cities, increasing weekly services to Bangkok to five, Delhi to four and Kuala Lumpur to three. Further fleet expansion during 2012 will support network growth. A new twice weekly flight to Hong Kong is due to be launched in February 2012, while a seasonal weekly charter link to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City is planned from October next year. The Hong Kong route was initially planned for a November 2011 start but was delayed due to some legal issues. “Expanding political, business and tourism links between Kazakhstan and Asia continue to drive strong traffic growth on services to the region, with increased feed from Central Asia into the expanding Almaty hub also making a significant contribution,” explained Peter Foster, President, Air Astana. “Immediate frequency increases on existing services and the launch of new services to Hong Kong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City in 2012, reflect the fact that Asia is playing an increasingly important part in the strategic long-term development of Air Astana.”
Ural Airlines to Offer Guangzhou Connection from Russian Cities
Russian carrier Ural Airlines is to establish links to Guangzhou from Irkutsk and Novosibirsk; its first flights into China. The airline will launch a twice weekly flight from Irkutsk on December 4 and a twice weekly link from Novosibirsk two days later on December 6. China Southern Airlines is the only other operator to link Russia with Guangzhou, offering flights to Moscow Sheremetyevo. An estimated 54,000 O&D passengers travelled between Guangzhou and the Russian Federation in the past year.
Emirates Lands in Russia’s Second City
Emirates Airline launched flights between Dubai and St Petersburg on November 1, its second route into Russia. The carrier is offering a daily rotation on the route using a mix of Airbus A330-200s and A340-300s on the flights to the most northerly destination in its entire network. Emirates already offers two flight per day to Moscow, a route it launched in 2003 and which carried an estimated 224,000 O&D passengers in the past year. An estimated 20,000 O&D passengers travelled between Dubai and St Petersburg in the past year, a route already served by Rossiya Airlines three times weekly during the winter season. “We have been considering launching a non-stop service to St Petersburg for some time and we believe that the conditions are now right to do so,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, earlier this year at the unveiling of the route.
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