Corporate Travel News

Tourism Australia reported (01-Dec-2017) the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has strong growth in overnight visitor numbers over the past few years. Growth has exceeded national growth rates, a "positive indicator of Canberra's growing popularity". Arrivals highlights for the 12 months to Jun-2016:

• Domestic visitors (overnight & domestic days): 4.5 million, +18.4% year-on-year;
• Domestic overnight visitor nights: +1.3%;
• International visitors: 203,000, +13.4%;
• International overnight visitor nights: +8.9%. [more - original PR]

Airservices Australia CEO Jason Harfield commented (01-Dec-2017) on the company's ongoing 'Accelerate' restructuring programme. "Our business model had served us very well... But the value it represented was diminishing", he said, explaining although revenue increased 4%-5% p/a, costs increased 6%-7%. "Having to constantly cut costs or forego investment in the latest technology puts pressure on an organisation... It was clear we needed to reposition the organisation", Mr Harfield concluded. [more - original PR]

Air Canada commenced (01-Dec-2017) seasonal Vancouver-Melbourne Tullamarine service, operating three class Boeing 787 equipment with 30 business, 21 premium economy and 247 economy seats. The route will operate four times weekly until 04-Feb-2018. The carrier plans to commence year-round Vancouver-Melbourne Tullamarine service from 01-Jun-2018. The seasonal service is presently the only nonstop service linking Canada and Melbourne. Melbourne is the airline's third destination in Australia, following Sydney and Brisbane. [more - original PR]

Ryanair applied (01-Dec-2017) for nine aircraft slots at Berlin Tegel Airport in addition to nine aircraft already based at Berlin Schonefeld Airport. Ryanair CCO David O'Brien commented: "Ryanair has applied for slots at Berlin Tegel and is prepared to invest up to USD1 billion in additional Berlin aircraft and double its Berlin traffic to 10 million over the next 18 months. Mr O'Brien added the investment will "enable Berlin citizens and visitors to avoid the emerging high fare Lufthansa/easyJet duopoly". [more - original PR]

Scoot announced (01-Dec-2017) plans to commence four times weekly Singapore-Berlin Tegel service with Boeing 787 equipment in 2H2018, according to Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg. The airport operator noted Singapore is an important hub between Europe and Southeast Asia, Oceania and Australia. Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg chairman Engelbert Lütke Daldrup said the new service "is an enormous boost for us". [more - original PR - English/German]

Regional Express (Rex) reported (30-Nov-2017) the following traffic highlights for Oct-2017:

• Passengers: 108,000, +6% year-on-year;
• Passenger load factor: 62.1%, +2.7ppts. [more - original PR]

Belarus' First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Yevdochenko stated Belarus sent the UAE a draft agreement on mutual abolition of visas (BelTA, 30-Nov-2017). "The work is underway... We already sent over to the UAE the draft agreement on mutual abolition of visas in November 2017". On the term, Me Yevdochenko said: "We offer standard terms: a 30 day stay, not more than 90 days during a year, as is the practice with other countries". The Council of the Republic approved the ratification of the protocol on amendments and additions to the intergovernmental agreement between Belarus and the UAE to abolish visas for holders of diplomatic passports. The protocol was signed on 10-May-2017.

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) announced (30-Nov-2017) reforms to the aviation medical certificate system. The reforms include creating a new category of private pilot medical certificate, allowing non passenger carrying commercial operations under a full Class 2 medical certificate and increasing the delegation of medical decision making to medical professionals. CASA CEO and director of aviation safety Shane Carmody said the reforms to the aviation medical system maintain appropriate safety standards while offering flexibility and reduced red tape. "CASA has initially focused on changes that benefit general aviation because this sector has been telling us the current medical certification system was causing real difficulties. In the interests of public safety it is important that pilots meet relevant medical standards but the system must not make unnecessary demands and should meet the needs of the aviation community". [more - original PR]

Canberra Airport announced it will trial new "contactless" SmartGate border technology which scans faces instead of passports (Canberra Times, 29-Nov-2017). Trials of the technology are set to begin in Mar-2018, ahead of a planned rollout across the rest of Australia. Four new SmartGate machines will be trialled at the international arrivals area in Canberra, using biometric facial scans to identify passengers. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said: "The SmartGates will allow, in time, people to walk through them with their passport in the pocket but without having to present it".

Nice Cote D'Azur Airport partnered (29-Nov-2017) with online booking reservation platform MisterFly. MisterFly will integrate its booking engine into the airport's website for customers to be offered flights, car rentals and hotels in bundles. MisterFly offers a portfolio of nearly 500,000 hotels in 180 countries. [more - original PR - French]