Corporate Travel News

Brisbane Airport reported (18-Aug-2017) traffic volume on New South Wales destinations reached 5.4 million passengers during FY2017, surpassing traffic volume to regional Queensland market for the first time since FY2011. This was largely attributed to strong growth to Sydney and Newcastle accounting for 55.5 per cent and 20.8 per cent of overall growth. [more - original PR]

Counter Intelligence Retail reported (16-Aug-2017) scheduled operators on Russia-Turkey routes are looking to take advantage of demand with seat capacity to double year-on-year in 2017. Istanbul Ataturk is expected to remain the key destination for traffic from Russia while Antalya could see triple digit growth in seat capacity in 2017. Dalaman and Gazipasa airports will also see a return of traffic from Russia. [more - original PR]

Tourism Tasmania reported (17-Aug-2017) it is "totally committed" to its T21 partnership with the Tasmanian tourism industry and the goals developed for the partnership. Tourism Tasmania stated it is "well on track to our goals", including welcoming 1.5 million visitors p/a by 2020. [more - original PR]

Germany's Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Alexander Dobrindt stated it is "imperative" that Deutsche Lufthansa AG be "able to take over significant parts of airberlin" (Rheinische Post/focus.de/Reuters/AFP/Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 17-Aug-2017). Mr Dobrindt said: "We need a German champion in international air transport... We are in... a European and international market environment, so monopoly can no longer be viewed by single regional sites". Lufthansa is reportedly aiming to acquire around 90 of airberlin Group's fleet of 140 aircraft, which would be allotted to Eurowings. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr reportedly presented the acquisition idea to the carrier's supervisory board, while the 90 aircraft would include the 38 aircraft Lufthansa is already leasing from airberlin and NIKI.

Garuda Indonesia and Saudia plan to expand their codeshare network in 2H2017 to include Garuda's Jakarta-Makassar, Jakarta-Medan and Jakarta-Surabaya services and Saudia's Madinah-Riyadh-Jakarta, Jeddah-Bahrain, Jeddah-Cairo, Jeddah-Casablanca, Jeddah-Dammam, Jeddah-Madinah, Jeddah-Madrid, Jeddah-Qassim, Jeddah-Riyadh, Jeddah-Tabuk and Riyadh-Jakarta services (Airline Route, 17-Aug-2017). Garuda has 27 codeshare partners and Saudia has 11, according to OAG.

airberlin CEO Thomas Winkelmann commented on parties interested in acquiring parts of the carrier, stating all three potential investors are "reputable in terms of their finances, sufficiently large to offer airberlin a secure future and are interested in keeping Germany as a base of operation" (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/Reuters/focus.de/Bloomberg, 17-Aug-2017). Mr Winkelmann reportedly stated discussions include assets of NIKI. As previously reported by CAPA, Lufthansa confirmed acquisition discussions with airberlin, Thomas Cook Group said it is "standing ready to play an active role in the future" of airberlin, while easyJet is reportedly interested. TUI Group is another reportedly interested party. Mr Winkelmann said the airberlin Group is aiming for an agreement with two investors by the end of Sep-2017.

Air New Zealand released (18-Aug-2017) its fuel hedge disclosure, as at 15-Aug-2017:

• Q1FY2018: 1,695,000 barrels, 75% of total volume, USD2,950,573 forecast hedge loss;
• Q2FY2018: 1,737,500, 78%, USD3,891,010 forecast hedge loss;
• Q3FY2018: 1,622,500, 70% USD1,183,772 forecast hedge loss;
• Q4FY2018: 1,257,500, 59%, USD1,486,886 forecast hedge gain. [more - original PR]

Tourism Tasmania reported (17-Aug-2017) Jetstar Airways took more than 5000 bookings for its new Adelaide-Hobart service within 12 hours of seats going on sale. The new service is expected to attract more than 46,000 passengers p/a. Tourism Tasmania also reported it committed to increase its cooperative marketing with Jetstar to capitalise on the new service, and is also expanding its 'Go Behind the Scenery' marketing campaign into the Adelaide market. [more - original PR]

Tourism Tasmania reported (17-Aug-2017) TT-Line, the operator of the Spirit of Tasmania ferries between Melbourne and Devonport, handled 433,925 for the 12 months to 30-Jun-2017, an increase of 31% year-on-year. [more - original PR]

AFI KLM E&M director innovations James Kornberg confirmed trials of non-destructive testing eddy-current inspection technology at the company's Amsterdam engine unit (MRO Network, 16-Aug-2017). Mr Kornberg said efficiency increases through automation, made possible by the technology, "has resulted in a 50% reduction of process time with the ability to test with efficient use of resources". Mr Kornberg also confirmed collaborations with Donecle, a French drone aircraft inspection manufacturer, to develop a system of autonomous drones to detect airframe defects.