Corporate Travel Analysis Reports For Europe/MEA

Icelandic low-fare carrier WOW air is to expand its network in the United States with the introduction of new flights from its Reykjavik hub at Keflavik International Airport to Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit and St Louis during the summer 2018 schedule. None of the four destinations announced are currently served from Iceland, albeit Icelandair announced its own plans to serve Cleveland next summer earlier this week.

In the airline industry differentiating oneself from competition is a vital, but rare, survival technique. Airlines all over the world are constantly looking for the next opportunity to announce how amazing and innovative they are, hoping to influence the decision process of any traveller.

RwandAir will commence operations to Conakry (Guinea), Bamako (Mali) and Dakar (Senegal) from its new hub in Cotonou (Benin) from September 30, 2017 as it expands its footprint across west Africa. The growth follows approval from the Government of Benin for seventh freedom rights allowing it to serve this new city pairs without the need to fly via its Kigali International Airport base.

Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport (DXB) surpassed 43 million in the first half of 2017, according to official traffic reports from operator Dubai Airports. The facility handled 43,054,268 passengers during the first half, up 6.3% compared to the corresponding period in 2016. This was despite a relatively quiet June when levels were up just 3.9% due mainly to the holy month of Ramadan falling in June, a traditionally slow month.

US major Delta Air Lines will add a three times weekly link to the Nigerian city of Lagos during summer 2018, complementing its existing flight into the city from its Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport hub, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary of service in December. The route, flown using an Airbus A330-200, will commence from March 24, 2018 and will mark the return of regular flights in the city pair after Arik Air ended its own flights earlier this year at the height of its financial crisis.

With continued slow sales - or should that be non-existent sales - of the Airbus A380 over the past two years and it looking increasingly likely that the manufacturer will not proceed with an updated A380neo version in favour of the minor A380plus upgrades revealed at the Paris Air Show this year, Emirates Airline now faces a major dilemma. How to you replace the largest capacity aircraft currently in the market?

German airport operator Fraport AG's submission of its building permit application to the City of Frankfurt for the construction of the new Pier G at Frankfurt Airport highlights the growing value of low-cost carrier (LCC) operations at major airports across Europe.

The number of British tourists visiting Spain jumped by its largest rate in over a decade to hit a record in 2016 and capacity analysis for summer 2017 suggests this year could be another record-breaking year, defying expectations of a slowdown in bookings following the UK's Brexit vote and the subsequent loss in value of sterling against the euro.

Asian flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) will boost its operations between Manila and London Heathrow this winter with the return of its Boeing 777-300ERs on the route from September 19, 2017. The aircraft, which initially served the city pair between November 2013 and August 2014 while PAL awaited the return of its Category 1 US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety rating, will deliver a significant capacity upgrade on the route versus the Airbus A340-300 it will replace.

Lithuania's Vilnius Airport, serving the capital of the Baltic country, reopened on 17-Aug-2017 following a 35-day closure for essential runway repairs that were planned well over a year ago. They were completed on time, despite unfavourable weather conditions. As far as is known, it was also within a EUR19 million budget.