European long-haul, low-cost operator Norwegian is known to be exploring markets in Asia to expand its business formula to the East. It previously only served Bangkok out of Scandinavia, but has now confirmed a London Gatwick - Singapore link, and more routes are set to follow as additional Boeing 787s join the fleet.
KLM has opened reservations this week for a planned twice weekly Amsterdam - San Jose flight launching from October 31, 2017. This will be flown on Tuesdays and Fridays and operated by one of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. It previously served San Jose until March 1998.
In one of the most significant brand expansion in the history of luxury travel and hospitality, Crystal Cruises is not only introducing new ships to its fleet effectively establishing three brand new classes of cruising, but also inducting two commercial airliners to launch Crystal Luxury Air in 2017.
Emirates has announced that it will introduce a second daily service to the island of Bali in Indonesia from July 2, 2017. The new service will be added to meet the growing demand for travel to and from Bali, offering travellers more convenience and connectivity options.
February international passenger demand rose 5.8 per cent compared to February 2016, which was down compared to the 9.1 per cent yearly increase recorded in January. Adjusting for the leap year, however, growth actually accelerated slightly compared to January. Total capacity climbed 3.4 per cent, and load factor rose 1.8 percentage points to 78.4 per cent.
The 'ACI Europe Airport Traffic Report includes 235 airports in total representing more than 88 per cent of European air passenger traffic. It is viewed by analysts as a good barometer of the industry’s health as it is the only industry analysis to include all types of airline passenger flights to, from and within Europe: full service, low cost, charter and others.
Norwegian will launch flights from both Denver International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to London’s Gatwick Airport this September. With these additions, Norwegian now offers nine non-stop routes from across the United States to London, serving more city pair markets than any US airline.
TAP is adding 23 new weekly frequencies into Spain during 2017, its largest international country network by capacity. This summer the Spanish market accounts for 11.2 per cent of its available seats out of Lisbon Airport.
Wizz Air will inaugurate twice weekly flights between Warsaw and Agadir from June 30, 2017, its first scheduled flights into the continent since it served Hurghada in Egypt back in 2014 and 2015.
In our regular Routes News series we take a look at the people that attend Routes events and find out more about them, their jobs and the current industry issues impacting them.
In the aviation world competition is not only between airlines, but also between airports and increasingly so. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol was one of the first to actively promote its airport to passengers and airlines, according to Wilco Sweijen, director aviation marketing, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, who highlighted what differentiates the European hub apart from others in terms of marketing during a Routes Talks discussion.
International Airlines Group (IAG) has confirmed its new low-cost long-haul business will operate under the LEVEL brand. The airline will launch from Barcelona from June 1, 2017 with flights to Buenos Aires, Punta Cana, Los Angeles and Oakland International using two Airbus A330-200s configured with a premium economy and economy onboard offering.
Etihad Airways will introduce the Airbus A380 on its route between Abu Dhabi and Paris this summer. The deployment is part of seasonal adjustments to the airline’s fleet plan and will result in a notable capacity growth in the market as the A380 substitutes for a smaller Boeing 777-300ER.
