Corporate Travel News For Europe/MEA

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Primera Air pax increases 23% in first eight months of 2017, expects 1m pax by year end

3 October, 2017

Primera Air forecast (02-Oct-2017) passenger numbers to exceed one million in 2017, having recorded a 23% year-on-year increase in the first eight months of 2017. The carrier also reported an average load factor of 87% during the period. [more - original PR]

Icelandair plans to launch six times weekly Dublin service in May-2018

3 October, 2017

Icelandair plans to launch six times weekly Reykjavik Keflavik-Dublin service from 08-May-2018, utilising a Boeing 757-300ER, according to a 02-Oct-2017 GDS display. The carrier will be the only full service operator on the route, offering a three class configuration of 22 business class seats, 63 premium economy and 137 economy seats. According to OAG, WOW air is currently the sole operator on the route operating with a single class A320 aircraft.

Ethiopian Airlines applies to operate Sao Paulo-Buenos Aires service

3 October, 2017

Ethiopian Airlines filed a slot request with Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency to operate São Paulo-Buenos Aires service, linking its established Addis Ababa-São Paulo route (Aviacion al dia, 30-Sep-2017). Ethiopian Airlines plans to operate the route five times weekly with Boeing 787-8 equipment, effective 02-Dec-2017.

fastjet signs LOI to lease three ATR 72-600 aircraft

3 October, 2017

fastjet signed (29-Sep-2017) a LOI to lease three ATR 72-600 aircraft, with an option to purchase with Abric Leasing. The agreement entitles fastjet to use the three aircraft for 10 years. fastjet plans to deploy the aircraft over the next six months in South Africa, Tanzania and/or Mozambique. [more - original PR]

Eurowings planning to operate feeder services into South African Airways long haul network

2 October, 2017

Eurowings announced (02-Oct-2017) an extended interline agreement with South African Airways (SAA). The scope of the agreement will see Eurowings operate feeder services into SAA's long haul network. Eurowings expects German passengers will be particularly interested in feeder services to London Heathrow and Munich, from where they can change to the South African Airways long haul services to Johannesburg. As previously reported by CAPA, Eurowings also plans to commence Cologne/Bonn-Cape Town service with A330-300 equipment from 05-Nov-2017. Eurowings said bookings for Cologne/Bonn-Cape Town service "are already off to an excellent start". [more - original PR - German]

EgyptAir to add 787, A320neos to fleet

2 October, 2017

EgyptAir Holding Company board of directors provided in principle approval to develop the carrier's fleet with Boeing 787 and A320neo aircraft (Daily News Egypt, 01-Oct-2017). Chairman Safwat Musallam said the aircraft represent a large proportion of previously announced plans to add 33 new aircraft to the carrier's fleet. The company is considering the financing methods of the agreement, including direct purchase, leasing or lease financing. According to the CAPA Fleet Database, Egypt Air currently operates a fleet of 71 aircraft.

fastjet launches brand in Mozambique, first LCC to enter market

2 October, 2017

fastjet launched its brand in Mozambique recently following a brand licence agreement with Federal Airlines and Solenta Aviation Mozambique, becoming the first LCC to enter the Mozambican market (Reuters/Breaking Travel News, 29/30-Sep-2017). CEO Nico Bezuidenhout said: "Today's announcement marks fastjet's first expansion since the implementation of our stabilisation plan and will see the brand enter a market where sustained demand for both leisure and business travel presents a very positive business case". The LCC plans to serve larger commercial centre in Mozambique initially with Embraer 145 aircraft. The carrier currently operates in Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Qatar Airways will 'massively grow' Meridiana

2 October, 2017

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker stated Qatar Airways will "massively grow" Meridiana, including a relaunch with new aircraft and new branding and an expansion of its European and international network (Reuters, 01-Oct-2017). Meridiana will "over the next six months" start taking delivery of Boeing 787s or A330s, alongside 737 MAX aircraft ordered by Qatar Airways. Mr Al Baker stated the contract terms for Meridiana employees, including salaries, benefits and working hours, were renegotiated as a condition of the agreement. Without disclosing how those terms had changed, he said the changes followed a "a very frank talk with the unions", which had been "very accommodating". "They realised we are not going to just shrink the airline in the beginning, but that we are going to massively grow the carrier to become the real national carrier of Italy", Mr Al-Baker said. He also said that Meridiana "should make sure that the Italian public is properly connected" as Alitalia goes through its bankruptcy proceedings.

Tourism Ireland welcomes overseas visitors, continued concern for decreasing UK market

2 October, 2017

Tourism Ireland welcomed (29-Sep-2017) figures published showing 6,714,600 inbound tourists visited Ireland from Jan-2017 to Aug-2017, representing a 2.5% year-on-year increase. Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons added: "North America and our long haul markets continue to perform very well. Arrivals from North America are up +17.9% for January to August... However, the decline in visitor numbers from Britain continues to be a real concern, down -7.1% for the January to August period". [more - original PR]

Air Malta plans new routes and additional frequencies under five year development plan

1 October, 2017

Air Malta plans to increase aircraft and frequency, in accordance with its growth focused five year development strategy, as confirmed by chairman Charles Mangion (Malta Independent, 01-Oct-2017). Mr Mangion said: "The growth is in terms of revenue and commercial growth...The first focus was on revenue growth. We have looked at existing routes and decided to have an additional aircraft and open up new routes...There are also plans to introduce routes to Manchester and Malaga next year, and other new routes are in the pipeline". The carrier will focus on core business activities and outsource ground handling to a government owned company.

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