Corporate Travel News For Europe/MEA

TAP Portugal announced (20-Dec-2017) plans to resume services from Porto to Milan, Barcelona, London City and Ponta Delgada, effective 25-Mar-2018, and to reinforce operations to Brazil and Canada. Details as follows:

• Porto-Barcelona: Twice daily service;
• Porto-Milan: Twice daily service;
• Porto-London City: Six times weekly;
• Porto-Ponta Delgada: Daily service;
• Lisbon-Florence: 10 times weekly, effective 10-Jun-2018.

The carrier also plans to add four weekly services to Campinas and one each to Brasilia, Belo Horizonte and Toronto, effective Jun-2018. Plans for Lisbon-Nouakchott service are also under consideration, pending governmental approval. [more - original PR]

Avinor stated (20-Dec-2017) Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA plans to base four additional Boeing 737-800 aircraft at Oslo Gardermoen Airport, commencing in summer 2018. The LCC plans to deploy the aircraft on services to Tromsø, Kristiansand, Evenes, Berlin, Gdansk, Paris, Riga, Tallinn and Warsaw, adding approximately one million seats to its Oslo capacity. [more - original PR]

SmartLynx Airlines announced (20-Dec-2017) plans to wet lease three A320 aircraft (ES-SAO, MSN 936; ES-SAK, MSN 888; and ES-SAS, MSN 1725) to TUI Airlines Belgium. The lease term for each aircraft differs, with terms ranging from 16-Apr-2018 to 30-Oct-2018. The aircraft are configured with 180 economy class seats and will operate from Brussels. At the beginning of 2017, SmartLynx wet leased two A320 aircraft to TUI Airlines Belgium. [more - original PR]

Etihad Airways reportedly plans to suspend Abu Dhabi-Tehran service, effective 24-Jan-2018 (Reuters/GDN Online/The National, 19-Dec-2017). The carrier also plans to adjust frequency from five times weekly to twice weekly between 25-Dec-2017 and 23-Jan-2018.

SATA Air Acores plans to replace A310 with new A321neo aircraft on Ponta Delgada-Boston service effective 12-Jan-2018, Terceira-Boston service effective 18-Jan-2018 and Ponta Delgada-Toronto service effective 25-Mar-2018 (Presstur, 18-Dec-2017).

Rossiya - Russian Airlines is reportedly considering transferring Moscow Vnukovo services to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport from the end of 2018 (Kommersant/TASS/Interfax, 19-Dec-2017). The carrier offered 11,212 seats at Moscow Vnukovo Airport in the week commencing 18-Dec-2017, according to OAG.

Senegal's Minister of Tourism and Air Transport Maimouna Ndoye Seck stated the inauguration of Air Sénégal forms part of the government's 'Plan Emergent Senegal' (PSE) and is keenly supported by President Macky Sall (African Aerospace, 19-Dec-2017). As previously reported by CAPA, Air Sénégal was officially inaugurated on 07-Dec-2017, with the carrier also introducing its new ATR aircraft. Air Sénégal CEO Mamadou Lamine Sow previously commented: "Since the liquidation of Senegal Airlines, domestic air services have been disrupted within the country. Our ambition is for this new airline to play a major role in Senegal, and in all of West Africa".

British Airways CEO Alex Cruz called (19-Dec-2017) on the UK Government to ease visa restrictions for Chinese travellers, stating: "We need the British government to take urgent action on its visa policy by making it easier for Chinese businesses and tourists to come to the UK". He added: "China is the world's second largest economy and we need to do all we can to encourage these trade links. This is even more critical post Brexit". [more - original PR]

Oman Air reintroduced (19-Dec-2017) its online ticketing product 'Oman Air Pass', supported by e-commerce ticketing provider Optiontown. The product can only be purchased online and offers up to 50% off travel from Oman to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Indian subcontinent. [more - original PR]

Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo launched (18-Dec-2017) 'What Counts', a new scheme designed for SME customers. The carrier bundled "a number of relevant 24/7 easy-to-connect services, tailor-made offers, and a loyalty programme" under the new scheme. The company is also upgrading the 'myCargo' digital portal "in an agile way", with plans to add new services and enhancements to existing services every three months. Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo VP cargo Europe Gertjan Roelands said: "We are able to approach every customer in a unique way, based on their particular needs, by sending them specific offers and information appropriate to their level of specialisation... Big data and a sophisticated CRM strategy make it possible for us to adopt this approach". [more - original PR]