Flybe to Support Brussels Airlines Operations with Q400
UK regional operator Flybe has announced a deal to provide two Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprops - with pilots, cabin crew and engineering support - to European national carrier Brussels Airlines from the end of this month. The partnership is similar to that which is provided to Greek airline Olympic Air between 2009 and 2010 and is an area of the business set to see further expansion in the future. “Over the past few years, we have been offered a number of opportunities to work with other European airlines but I am very clear that the deal has to be 100% right for Flybe,” explained Jim French, Chief Executive Officer, Flybe. “Given our successful experience of operating in Greece, I fully expect the partnership with Brussels Airlines not only to be a great success but also to pave the way for further partnerships as we seek to find innovative uses for our fleet at a time of economic challenge in our core UK market.” “It’s not the Flybe way to simply park our aircraft and wait for something to come along; we prefer to get out there and seek new and profitable opportunities,” he added. The wet-lease deal with Brussels Airlines will commence at the start of the Northern Summer schedules from March 25, 2012 and will run for a two-year period. The two Q400 turboprops will be based at Birmingham, UK and Hanover, Germany and will serve “core routes” in the Star Alliance member’s European network in and out of Brussels. These will include Lyon, Manchester, Prague and Strasbourg. Both aircraft will be painted in full Brussels Airlines livery but will be flown under the Flybe Air Operators Certificate (AOC), crewed by the UK carrier’s pilots and cabin crew and maintained by its own engineers. They will also be joined by additional Dash 8-Q400 models of Tyrolean Airways which will also serve Basel and Turin from the Belgian capital. “The partnership with Brussels Airlines is an exciting development for Flybe and I am delighted to be working with such a respected European operator. It is another very important milestone in Flybe’s development and is further confirmation of our reputation as a quality provider of professional ‘turn-key’ solutions in the regional aviation market,” added Jim French.
Air France to Use A380 on Singapore Flights
Air France is to introduce the Airbus A380 on its flights between Paris CDG and Singapore from April 2012. The carrier will use the Superjumbo on three of its daily rotations from April 1, 2012, replacing a Boeing 777 as part of a planned capacity upgrade in this market. The A380’s arrival will replace a previous plan to add three more weekly rotations from May 28, 2012. Air France competes directly with Singapore Airlines on the route and in 2011 had a 23 per cent share of the estimated 178,000 O&D passengers that travelled on the route. However, its average fares are around 20 per cent higher than its rival at an estimated $1,546 each way. Over the past five years the Paris CDG – Singapore market has grown by 22.2 per cent, but Air France’s own share has slipped by around a third, a move this capacity growth will go some way to rectifying during 2012. In the past year an estimated 2.4 million O&D passengers flew between Europe and Singapore.
Aer Lingus Regional Adds Dublin - London Southend
A day after London Southend Airport celebrated the formal opening of its new passenger terminal, its parent company Stobart Group has confirmed a new regular link from the Essex facility to the Irish capital Dublin, a flight that will provide onward connections to the United Sates. The three times daily service will be provided by Aer Lingus Regional from May 10, 2012 and will be operated by Aer Arann, a regional carrier that Stobart acquired control of in October 2010 after the airline entered bankruptcy protection. Stobart Group CEO Andrew Tinkler said: "This is a further exciting development for London Southend in what is a pivotal year in the airport's history,” said Andrew Tinkler, Chief Executive Officer, Stobart Group. "Dublin is a welcome addition to the services we offer, especially with the fast and efficient onward connections to the US. This, together with the existing Waterford route and easyJet's first services from next month, will take the airport to over 100 flights a week from May 2012." The new link will further increase capacity in the busy Dublin – London market. There are currently more than 286 flights a week between the two capitals providing just under 50,000 seats in each direction. As the table below highlights, Irish carrier Aer Lingus dominates the market with a 48.9 per cent share of capacity this month. Ryanair, which offers flights to three London airports has a 37.8 per cent share of the available seats, BMI British Midland International 8.1 per cent and CityJet, which operates between Dublin and London City for Air France, has a 5.4 per cent share. Under a franchise agreement between the two airlines Aer Lingus Regional flights are operated by Aer Arann using its own ATR turboprop aircraft and crew. This year there will be a significant increase in flights under the Regional brand with new services from Dublin to Bournemouth (from May 1, 2012) and a seasonal Shannon to Rennes (from June 9, 2012) and increased frequencies this summer on nine existing routes.
THY Launches Link to Mogadishu
Turkish Airlines (THY) launched flights between Istanbul and the Somali capital Mogadishu on March 5, 2012, the first scheduled air link into Somalia from outside of Africa for about 20 years. The airline’s inaugural flight included a high-level delegation from Ankara, including Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bosdag and was welcomed in Mogadishu the following day by Somalia's President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. THY is offering a twice weekly service to Mogadishu via the Sudanese capital Khartoum. In the past year an estimated 158,000 O&D passengers flew in or out of the East African country on scheduled air services. The majority of passengers are travelling into Djibouti, Kenya and Saudi Arabia from Mogadishu and Hargeisa on the flights of African Express Airways and Jubba Airways. There is only limited data on demand between Somalia and destinations outside of Africa but THY expects to generate some traffic from aid agencies and humanitarian staff entering the country. By serving Mogadishu as an extension of the Istanbul – Khartoum service it is minimising the risk of the new route as already around 23,000 O&D passengers use the link to/from the Sudanese capital. This route is operated on a daily basis but will now see nine weekly frequencies following the introduction of the new Mogadishu link.
Wizz Air to Launch Flights from Arad
Central and Eastern European low-cost carrier Wizz Air has confirmed it will introduce operations from Arad International Airport from June this year, marking the resumption of commercial scheduled air services from the city in West Romania. It will launch a twice weekly connection to Bergamo Orio al Serio Airport, or Milan Bergamo as it is better known by budget airlines, from June 23, 2012. Arad is situated in the historical Crişana region of western Romania an important industrial centre and transportation hub on the Mureş River. However, it is located just 60 miles north of Timișoara, one of Romania’s largest cities and most air services use the nearby Traian Vuia International Airport, the third largest facility in the country. Wizz Air already serves the Bergamo - Timișoara route and the new Arad flights have been scheduled to complement its existing operation meaning it will offer services on six days into this region of Romania. The airline says there is strong demand from here to Northern Italy, a popular destination for both business and leisure travellers. In the past year an estimated 68,000 O&D passengers travelled between Bergamo and Timișoara, up 11.2 per cent on the previous 12 months. Wizz Air has seen its own demand on the route slip by around four per cent during this period, although it still holds around an 80 per cent share of the traffic. The launch of a single route to Arad is likely to be a test of the water and additional expansion could be likely in the future. Wizz Air says this is an “initial investment” to expand the coverage of service between Romania and Northern Italy but its Chief Commercial Officer, György Abrán hints at further growth. “We remain committed to serving the region and anticipate growth of our operations in the future,” he said.
Eastern Airways Returns to Southampton – Brussels Route
UK regional carrier Eastern Airways has confirmed it will relaunch flights between Southampton and the Belgian capital Brussels after a four year hiatus. The Independent airline served the route for over two years until April 2008 when fellow UK carrier Flybe entered the market, but it suspended its flights from February 28 this year. Eastern will offer a daily, except Saturday operation on the route from April 16, 2012 joining an existing Aberdeen service from Southampton, where it has been flying since 2003. “The continuation of the Southampton – Brussels route is great news for business and leisure travellers on the south coast of England as there have been strong trade and tourism links between the two regions for many years,” said Kay Ryan, Commercial Director, Eastern Airways. An estimated 22,000 O&D passengers travelled on the Brussels – Southampton route in 2011; a market that has declined by more than a third since 2007, the last full year that Eastern Airways’ served the route. During this same period air fares on the route have increased by a third from $149 each way in 2007 to $199 each way in 2011. “We’re delighted that Eastern Airways has enabled the continuation of this service to Brussels from Southampton. It’s a highly requested route by both our business and leisure passengers, who are looking for convenient flights to this a major European centre, so they will no doubt welcome this great news,” added Dave Lees, Managing Director, Southampton Airport.
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