According to news from Finnair, the airline will be launching flights to Split in Croatia starting in May of next year. The twice weekly (Tuesdays and Saturdays) flights will operate with the A320 aircraft, according to the airline.
Europe airlines
Air France gives in to pilots
Pilots striking against Air France over a proposed expansion of the airline via subsidiary Transavia have apparently won. Air France and KLM have now announced their intention of dropping the Transavia Europe operation.
Air France strike grounds half of flights
Air France has said more than half the airline’s flights will have to be grounded on account of a week-long pilot’s strike. The airline’s plans to start its own low cost carrier are at the center of the dispute that had crippled the airline this morning.
Alitalia Expands Crete Flights – Gets Investment Boost
Alitalia has begin a three times per week service in between Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and the Crete holiday destination of Heraklion (HER). The route is to be a summer seasonal one flying only through 31 August.
Ryanair Catering to Families This Summer
In news from low cost airline leader Ryanair, the carrier will be introducing a new “family-friendly” service at a special event in London. Discounted charges for various services by the airline were just announced via Travel Mole.
Airberlin May Passengers Up
For May 2014, airberlin ferried a total of 2,971,840 passengers to destinations worldwide. The increase, of +0.5 percent over the same period of 2013, represented equaled a high capacity utilization rate of 79.5 percent. Seat miles/kilometers increased, as did other comparative figures.
Aegean Airlines Reports Passengers Up 26% for April
Total passenger traffic for AEGEAN and Olympic Air was up by 26% for April 2014, climbing to 751,347 passengers, 153,443 more than the total for both companies during the same period in 2013.In April, AEGEAN and Olympic Air operated 7.933 flights improving the load factor by 9 units, reaching 76%.
Aeroflot Continues Fleet Expansion: Takes Boeing Delivery
Aeroflot has taken delivery of a new Boeing 777-300ER named in honor of Anton Chekhov, the famous Russian author. Configured in a three class arrangement, the new 777-300ER also includes increased leg room, an upgraded on-board menu, additional baggage room and more Aeroflot Bonus reward miles. So far this is Aeroflot’s 6th aircraft in the class.
Ryanair Establishes Greece Hub
Early this month Ryanair announced having opened an Athens based hub for operations operating six routes across the Greece region. The low cost airline hopes the new hub will help bolster the 1.2 million passengers per year to then Greek capital, and prop up the 1200 plus jobs Athens Airport benefits from.
Wizz Air Taking Off in Eastern Europe
News from Ryanair competitor Wizz Air shows that company pivoting to compete with the world’s most profitable budget carrier. While the Budapest airline lost some 25 routes to Ryanair last year in the UK and Poland, the Hungarian carrier gained a lot of ground in Eastern Europe.
Croatia Airlines Strike Seems Imminent
On Friday 3 unions connected with Croatia Airlines (CA) said a general strike by the national air carrier’s employees will start tomorrow if demands are not met. According to the news the employees are just trying to get benefits of an agreement already struck last year in a collective bargaining agreement.
SWISS Adds Singapore Flights
Swiss International Air Lines has just announced daily non-stops in between Zurich and Singapore beginning with Airbus A340-300 service out of Changi Airport today.
OAG Reports: European LCCs Growing Capacity 14X Faster Than Legacy Airlines
According to the most recent report from aviation intelligence leader OAG , llow cost carriers (LCCs) are now far outdistancing legacy air carriers in rise in seats. In Europe LCC seats increased by some 14% compared with 1% for traditional legacy carriers.
Fight Aboard Lufthansa Flight Forces Emergency Landing
A Lufthansa airliner had to make an emergency landing in Budapest earlier this week when a fight broke out between passengers on board.
Euros Left in the Vapor Trail: Plight of the Single European Sky
With 27 separate bits of airspace connecting European countries, is it any wonder the the old continent still seems fragmented and inefficient? Well, back in 1999 the European Commission launched a plan termed Single European Sky (SES), aimed at uniting all the airspace to fuel a more efficient air travel industry. The big question today it; “What happened to the plan?”
Will Montenegro Airlines’ Boss Get Sacked?
In news from Balkans.com, Montenegro Airlines’ CEO, Zoran Djurišić will reportedly be replaced at the end of May on account of the airlines recent heavy losses. Mr. Djurišić has been at the helm of the now beleaguered airline since its creation almost 20 years ago. The airline ended 2012 on a horrendous financial note losing some €23.5 million euro. Meanwhile Ryanair appears ready to take up Montenegro traffic slack if the airline staggers or folds.
El Cheapo Europe Flights Dominate Market
According to the Amadeus Air Traffic Travel Intelligence report recently released, budget flights in Europe and other regions are trending to dominate air travel. The report reveals low cost carriers taking up as much 14% of all air travel, while cheap flights in Europe account for 38% overall.
Korean Air Buys 44% Stake in Czech Airlines
Korean Air and Czech Airlines finalized the former’s buyout of 44% of the Czech carrier making the Korean airline their second largest stakeholder.
Turkish Airlines Connects Non-Stop to Houston Now
Turkish Airlines has announced their expansion in the United States with this week’s launch of its newest gateway in Houston, Texas.
Alitalia On Bad PR and Profits Course
Just when European airline Alitalia could least afford bad publicity, news from the US Department of Transportation (DOT) tells of a fine of $125,000 levied against the airline for deceiving two passengers about their compensation rights.