Corporate Travel News For Europe/MEA

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport announced (09-Oct-2017) LOT Polish Airlines plans to launch 13 times weekly Warsaw Chopin-Oslo service from 25-Mar-2018, operating with Embraer 195 aircraft. Norwegian Air International and Wizz Air also operate the route. [more - original PR - Polish]

Brussels Airlines announced (09-Oct-2017) 10 new destinations for winter 2017/18, with the biggest winter season expansion in the carrier's 15 year history. The airline will serve 80 destinations from Brussels Airport, including 21 long haul destinations. New destinations from Brussels include:

• Agadir: Weekly;
• Almeria: Weekly;
• Boa Vista: Twice weekly;
• Enfidha: Weekly;
• Fuerteventura: Weekly;
• Hurghada: Twice weekly;
• Lanzarote: Three times weekly;
• Marsa Alam: Weekly;
• Palma de Mallorca: Weekly;
• Sal: Weekly.

The carrier also extended summer service to Bordeaux and Funchal into winter 2017/18. [more - original PR]

airberlin stated (09-Oct-2017) the investor process for its assets "enters its decisive phase this week". Lufthansa Group and easyJet will conclude exclusivity for the negotiations on the acquisition of airberlin's assets on 12-Oct-2017, as previously reported. airberlin said it is also "still confident about finding investors" for airberlin technik "who are equally interested in the acquisition of assets and the continuation of the company". airberlin stated after tenderers acquire purchase contracts for airberlin's parts, the carrier will "cease its own business step by step" by 28-Oct-2017 "at the latest". airberlin confirmed air traffic of non-insolvent companies NIKI and Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter will continue. [more - original PR - German]

Fly Baghdad will reportedly receive its first Boeing 737-700 aircraft and commence international services in Oct-2017 (worldairlinenews.com, 08-Oct-2017). Via its official Facebook and Twitter accounts, the airline stated (21-Sep/03-Oct-2017) its new 737 aircraft completed "final checks" to enable international operations, including services to Europe. The aircraft was purchased from a Swiss company.

Ivory Coast's Minister of Transport Amadou Kone said the Government is in talks with Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and South African Airways to launch direct Abidjan-US service by late 2017 or Jan-2018 (Bloomberg, 09-Oct-2017). Discussions with Ethiopian Airlines are more advanced than those with the other carriers. Mr Kone said: "I'm pushing for it to happen, that we have a flight at the end of the year or in January 2018. That's my objective. I'm not saying it will be easy but I'm working on it".

Ryanair COO Michael Hickey is to resign (Irish Independent/The Evening Standard/The Guardian, 07-Oct-2017). Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said: "He will be a hard act to replace, which is why we are grateful he has agreed to continue in an advisory role to smooth the transition to a successor and to complete a number of large projects he is currently working on including a multi-year engine maintenance contract and new hangar projects in Seville and Madrid".

Munich Airport stated (06-Oct-2017) intercontinental routes posted a "somewhat stronger growth rate" than traffic within Europe in Sep-2017. Munich Airport handled 5.5 million passengers in the first nine months of 2017, an increase of 7.5% year-on-year. Traffic to North America saw "double digit" growth, while traffic to Delhi and Mumbai posted a 20% increase and Singapore a 62% increase. Traffic on domestic routes increased 3.6% to about 7.4 million. [more - original PR - English/German]

Finnair is reportedly considering plans to launch services to Tokyo Haneda and Sapporo Chitose, as part of a wider plan to expand its Asia network by 15% (Nikkei Asian Review, 07-Oct-2017). Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo said the carrier narrowed its choice of new Japanese destinations to two or three destinations. Finnair currently operates services to Nagoya, Tokyo Narita, Osaka and Fukuoka, according to OAG. The carrier currently operates 87 weekly services between Helsinki and Asian cities, increasing to 97 in FY2018 and 100 by FY2020.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Royal Schiphol Group stated (06-Oct-2017) the new Dutch Cabinet is considering an aviation tax, with a view to generate EUR200 million p/a from the sector. The companies referred to the absence of an air tax in Belgium, adding the German Government also "came up with 20 points to strengthen German aviation, including the abolition of the airline tax". The companies emphasised a national Dutch airline tax "does not help the environment" and interferes with maintaining a competitive aviation market. They added: "Aviation in the Netherlands is the only transport sector that fully pays its own infrastructure and its security... In recent years, airlines have contributed more than EUR750 million to sound insulation and compensation for plane damage, which is unique in the world". [more - original PR - Dutch] [more - original PR - Dutch - II]

Qatar Airways announced (08-Oct-2017) plans to commence daily Doha-St Petersburg service on 19-Dec-2017. The airline will operate the service with A320 equipment configured with 12 business class and 120 economy class seats. CEO Akbar Al Baker said: "There is enormous potential for extending our reach in Russia, thanks to its huge population and economic significance". The carrier also operates three times daily Doha-Moscow Domodedovo service. [more - original PR - English/Arabic]