PLAY to head to Orlando from 30th September.

Icelandic budget carrier PLAY will start a service to Orlando, Florida on 30 September, with tickets on sale now. The airline will operate the route three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with the return departing Orlando International Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. 

Orlando will be PLAY´s fourth destination in the U.S. The other three destinations are Boston, Baltimore/Washington DC and New York, all starting in Spring/Summer 2022.

PLAY will be adding Airbus A321neo Long Range (LR) aircraft to its fleet, making it possible to operate flights to Orlando. PLAY uses the standard model of the Airbus A321neo, but the Airbus A321neo LR is the same aircraft with more fuel capacity and, therefore, capable of flying further than PLAY’s existing Airbus A321s.

“With the Airbus A321neo LR, we can reach markets that were not open to PLAY before. We use the newest generation of A320/1neo from Airbus, which is the most sought-after aircraft in the world today because of its benefits and the Long Range-version is a welcome addition,” says Birgir Jónsson, CEO of PLAY.

“I am convinced that our arrival in Orlando will shake up the Iceland - Florida market. After studying our competitors’ prices on flights to and from Orlando, we are confident we can offer much lower prices on this popular route, which benefits a huge market. That includes the many Icelanders who travel to Florida as well as everyone travelling between Florida and Europe. PLAY is a real low-budget airline that aims to offer the lowest prices. With our operations on this popular route, many more will be able to fly to Florida and experience this wonderful area.”

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First aircraft for Canada Jetlines arrives in Canada............

The new ultra-low-cost airline Canada Jetlines has welcomed its first aircraft, an Airbus A320 registered under C-GCJL in Canada.

The twin-jet landed at the Kitchener/Waterloo Airport at 14:33 local on Saturday, February 26, 2022, arriving from Shannon, Ireland where it had recently been painted and the cabin refurbished. 

The flight was operated by Captain Randy Howe, Canada Jetlines’ Chief Pilot and Captain Colin Forrest, both pilots having recently completed their Canada Jetlines’ A320 pilot training and simulator check ride monitored by Transport Canada.

“This is a very special day for Canada Jetlines,” said Eddy Doyle, CEO of Canada Jetlines. “I am very proud of the hard work completed by the entire Canada Jetlines team which made this day possible. The amazing aircraft livery and interior represent the new, fun, and exciting Canada Jetlines. This is an important milestone for our airline as we continue on the path to obtain our Air Operator Certificate from Transport Canada. We are looking forward to operating our first revenue flights and welcoming our first guests following the receipt of regulatory approvals.”

Photo Canada Jetlines 

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Air India Express.....cargo in the cabin

The idea of cargo-in-cabin flights transformed the way we looked at cargo operations and offered solace to thousands of local farmers and exporters in the country at the time of the pandemic.

Find out more about how this innovation helped ease the stress on the supply chain and helped farmers and exporters access the international market in a cost-effective way.

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airBaltic extends suspension of Russia flights until May

The Latvian airline airBaltic has confirmed today that because of the increased risk and imposed restrictions all its flights to and from Russia will be cancelled until the end of May 2022.

The carrier said:  "The safety and security of our passengers and employees is the main priority of airBaltic. airBaltic is evaluating the current situation before each flight and remains in close contact with national and international authorities. The airline is flexible and ready to adjust its flight schedule when necessary."

Earlier this month, on 23rd the carrier welcomed its 33rd Airbus A220-300 jet, registered as YL-ABG, in Riga. This is the first of eight planned Airbus A220-300 aircraft deliveries for airBaltic in 2022 and is part of the 50 Airbus A220-300 which airBaltic has ordered. 

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “This is the first airBaltic Airbus A220-300 aircraft which is certified to operate up to 148 seats. Until now we could use 145 seats on the aircraft, however, going forward also existing fleet will gradually be recertified for this additional capacity, which will further drive efficiency of our operations.”

Since May 2020, airBaltic operates all its flights with a single aircraft type – Airbus A220-300, thus minimizing the complexity and benefiting from the additional efficiency provided by the aircraft.

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The new reimagined AAdvantage loyalty programme launched....

American Airlines leads the way in customer loyalty with the official launch of the reimagined AAdvantage® program, designed to reward members with enhanced benefits, more ways to earn status and the easiest way to unlock a world-class customer experience.

At the centre of this innovative approach is Loyalty Points, the only metric that, starting March 1, AAdvantage members need to track to earn status. This single-point system, in which one qualifying AAdvantage mile earned equals one Loyalty Point, positions the AAdvantage program as the largest airline loyalty program that will not require members to track miles, dollars and/or flight segments to earn status.

“The past few years have taught us that loyalty is not one-size-fits-all — it comes in different forms,” said Alison Taylor, American’s Chief Customer Officer. “We recognize the path to earning status is different for each individual, which is why we’re giving members more ways to earn Loyalty Points — whether by flying, shopping or using an AAdvantage credit card. We want to make it easier for our customers to achieve status wherever they may be in their travel journey.”

The simplicity of Loyalty Points

In March, AAdvantage members will have access to an updated online AAdvantage Status Estimator to help project their status qualification from flying and shopping. For every qualifying AAdvantage mile earned, members receive one Loyalty Point. Members have been accruing Loyalty Points since Jan. 1. Also, in March, members will see their progress toward status with Loyalty Points within their AAdvantage account on aa.com and the American Airlines app.

AAdvantage 2022 status requirements

 

 Status                                    Loyalty Points

AAdvantage Gold®                    30,000

AAdvantage Platinum®           75,000

AAdvantage Platinum Pro® 125,000

AAdvantage Executive Platinum® 200,000

Once a member achieves a status level, their enhanced travel experience and status will be valid through March 31 of the following year.

Complimentary upgrades for all status members

To elevate the travel experience for all status members, American is expanding complimentary upgrade access for AAdvantage Gold and AAdvantage Platinum members to include all flights on American within North America regardless of the flight distance. For travel starting March 2, an upgrade will automatically be requested if everyone in the reservation is eligible for a complimentary upgrade. Members will only need to use 500-mile upgrades if they want to upgrade travel companions who do not hold AAdvantage status.

Later this year, American will extend complimentary upgrades to one companion travelling on the same flight as the status member. At that time, all existing 500-mile upgrades in members’ accounts will each convert to 250 Loyalty Points toward the 2022 status qualification period.

Earning miles is easier than ever

In the air: AAdvantage members earn miles when they fly on American, the oneworld® Alliance carriers and other eligible airlines like JetBlue®. With the recently announced exclusive partnership with GOL, Brazil’s largest airline, American continues to expand opportunities for AAdvantage members to earn, redeem and enjoy reciprocal benefits across its global network.

On the ground: Members earn miles from everyday spending with the AAdvantage eShoppingTM, SimplyMilesTM and AAdvantage DiningTM programs, booking hotels and rental cars with AAdvantage partners, as well as purchases made with an AAdvantage credit card.

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Finnair warns of financial consequences of Russian airspace closure

Finnair has warned of the financial implications the closure of Russian airspace will have on its operations this year.  “The crisis in Ukraine touches all Europeans, and we understand the EU’s decision to close its airspace. We are implementing our contingency plan as the situation has a considerable impact on Finnair. Bypassing the Russian airspace lengthens flight times to Asia considerably and, thus, the operation of most our passenger and cargo flights to Asia is not economically sustainable or competitive”, Topi Manner, Finnair CEO, says.

Bookings in European and North American markets are clearly growing as the impacts of the pandemic are decreasing. Finnair is currently preparing new traffic and cost savings plans in case the situation prolongs and will provide further information during the coming weeks.

“Despite the massive negative financial impacts that the pandemic had on us, our cash position is still strong, c. 1.7 billion euros at the end of 2021. This includes the currently undrawn 400-million-euro hybrid loan granted by the State of Finland, which also supports our equity”, Manner says. “The State owner has stated that Finnair is a company of strategic interest. Under these new circumstances, we as a company feel that functioning flight connections are even more important for the Finnish economy, safety and security of supply. The company is considering different solutions in case the situation prolongs, and it has an active dialogue with the State of Finland.”

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Norwegian to lease ten Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft

The budget airline Norwegian is to lease ten Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft from aircraft leasing giant AerCap. This new deal forms part of a much larger arrangement that will see the Oslo based airline take on eight Boeing 737-800 NG, which are part of the 70 aircraft fleet operational for the summer of 2022.

Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian said: "The addition of these aircraft will help us achieve our target of building a larger, modern and more fuel-efficient fleet. This will in turn enable us to deliver our products and services in a wide network of routes in the Nordics and to European destinations."

Norwegian has the option to substitute certain aircraft with equivalent narrow-body models from Airbus.

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Large aviation casualty of war....

The Ukrainian-made giant Antonov-225 Mriya has been destroyed in a Russian attack on Hostomel airport near the capital, Kyiv.,  the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed the news on social media on Sunday, "Russia may have destroyed our 'Mriya'. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state."

This was the world’s largest aircraft, AN-225 ‘Mriya’ (‘Dream’ in Ukrainian). Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya’. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail! pic.twitter.com/TdnBFlj3N8

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 27, 2022

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Emerald Airlines kicks off PSO route between Dublin and Donegal

Conor McCarthy, Emerald Airlines; Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State; Eilis Docherty, Managing Director at Donegal Airport and Steve O'Cúláin, Chairman Donegal Airport, Photo RTE  

Emerald Airlines has started operating a route between Dublin and Donegal with a 72-seater ATR72-600, under the Aer Lingus Regional brand.

The carrier took over the route from Amapola Flyg AB which stepped in following the collapse of Stobart Air last year.  Emerald has a contract to run the Public Service Obligation PSO route for three year, but it expects that to be renewed on a year by year basis. 

Irish Minister Eamon Ryan had previously said, “Government-funded air services on the Donegal to Dublin route provide vital connectivity for Donegal and the North-West region to Dublin. I am delighted to announce that Emerald Airlines will operate services on this route commencing on 26 February 2022. I know that this route provides important reassurance for those who need to attend medical or other important appointments as well as supporting business and tourism in the region.”

Conor McCarthy, CEO of Emerald Airlines said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the new operator of the vital air route between Donegal and Dublin for the next 3 years. This announcement is a great boost for ensuring continued connectivity from Donegal to Dublin, and beyond." 

 

"I would like to wish Emerald Airlines every success in operating and growing this route and providing the people and businesses in the North-West with daily air services to Dublin to attend medical and other important appointments as well as supporting the economy and tourism in the region," said Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton.

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US and UK air force tankers flying near Ukraine

A large number of military aircraft are flying into and over the neighbouring countries of Ukraine late on Sunday evening as the Russian invasion continues and Russia's leader Vladimir Putin raises the nuclear stakes.

Large military tankers and cargo aircraft from Spain, the UK and the US have been seen flying in the skies above Poland, Romania Bulgaria and Turkey.

FlightRadar24 online

Ukraine International Airlines extends grounding until at least 23rd March

Ukraine International Airlines has extended its enforced suspension of flights due to the extension of the closure of Ukrainian airspace for civilian aircraft following the invasion by Russia. 

This decision is according to the official NOTAM of the State Aviation Service means that the airline will not operate regular and charter flights to / from Ukraine until 23:59 on March 23, 2022, Kyiv time.

UIA said that it will keep in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine regarding the current situation.  Updates would be put on the carrier's website, and advised passengers of cancelled flights can take advantage of the free change of flight date for an unused ticket. Reimbursement will only be possible from March 26, 2022, given the technical nuances of martial law in Ukraine. Passengers of cancelled flights will be informed of further actions by e-mail or telephone, 

The airline also announced that citizens of Ukraine who found themselves abroad and must return to Ukraine must register on the state website of the State Registration of Ukrainian Citizens https://friend.mfa.gov.ua/#/. Registered citizens will be provided with information about flights to these points and to points of arrival in Ukraine.

During the middle of February, at the request of lessors, UIA sent a number of aircraft to Castellon in Spain for safekeeping, other aircraft are in Moldova and Turkey. Two aircraft were sent for scheduled engine maintenance in Belgrade, whilst the fate of the other aircraft at Kyiv airport is not currently known. 

Photo flagz.co.nz

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Finnair canels flights to Moscow, St Petersburg and some destinations in Asia.

Finnair has finally joined other European airlines and suspended its flights in Russian airspace, the carrier has announced today. The cancellation is scheduled to last for one week the airline said in a statement, while it prepares for the possible upcoming regulatory changes.

Finnair has also cancelled its passenger and cargo flights to Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo, Shanghai and Guangzhou in Asia and to Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia between 28 February and 6 March. Flights to Hongkong were cancelled until the end of March already earlier.

Finnair continues to operate passenger and/or cargo flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore and Delhi but reroutes the flights to avoid Russian airspace. This lengthens the flight times by approximately one hour. Finnair flies to Bangkok and Phuket also from Stockholm Arlanda in addition to Helsinki.

Finnair communicates flight cancellations directly to customers who have bookings on the cancelled flights and does its best to reroute customers to their destinations on other flights. Customers can also apply for a full refund for the unused ticket. In addition, Finnair has made changes to its refund policy. Customers can cancel their flight and apply for a refund if they have a flight to South Korea, Japan or China between 27 February and 13 March. A full refund is possible for flights to Russia for the time being.

The decision on Russian airspace usage after March 6 will be made later as the possible regulatory changes clarify.

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Europe bans all Russian aircraft from its airspace.

The President of the European Commission Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen announced earlier today that Europe would close its airspace to all Russian owned, leased and private aircraft as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.

Von der Leyen said "First, we are shutting down the EU airspace for Russian-owned, Russian registered or Russian-controlled aircraft.   They won’t be able to land in, take off or overfly the territory of the EU.   Including the private jets of oligarchs."

The EU has also gone a step further in combating a false narrative portrayed by Russian state-sponsored media outlets,  "Second, we will ban the Kremlin’s media machine in the EU.   The state-owned Russia Today and Sputnik, and their subsidiaries, will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war.   We are developing tools to ban their toxic and harmful disinformation in Europe."

 

Canada has also confirmed it will close its airspace to Russian aircraft, the ban has already become effective,  "We will hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked attacks against Ukraine," Canadian minister Omar Alghabra said.

The Ukrainian-made giant Antonov-225 Mriya has been destroyed in a Russian attack on Hostomel airport near the capital, Kyiv.,  the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba confirmed the news on social media today, "Russia may have destroyed our 'Mriya'. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state."

This was the world’s largest aircraft, AN-225 ‘Mriya’ (‘Dream’ in Ukrainian). Russia may have destroyed our ‘Mriya’. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail! pic.twitter.com/TdnBFlj3N8

— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 27, 2022

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Japan’s Timeless Festivals

One of the many traditions preserved in Japan over centuries is the holding of local festivals – “matsuri” in Japanese. These are typically boisterous and colourful events that bring local communities together; they normally incorporate ceremonies around shrines and temples where local residents pray to the gods for peace and protection from natural disasters, and perhaps express their thanks for a successful harvest. Many matsuri features colourful floats held aloft by groups of young revellers dressed in loincloths or happi festival coats. Many of Japan’s festivals date back centuries, each of them reflecting the history and culture of the local area.

As a result of the COVID pandemic, many of Japan’s festivals have been scaled back or postponed during the past two years. However, many of the communities hosting them are making strenuous efforts to protect their traditions and keep their festivals alive. Some of the festivals are well known internationally, while there are many lesser-known festivals that will charm future visitors from overseas.

Aomori Nebuta Matsuri is one of the most famous summer festivals, a six-day event in the Tohoku region that regularly attracts more than 3 million visitors. Nebuta are floats bearing giant paper lanterns often featuring images of mythical figures, kabuki actors or even TV characters. More than 20 floats are carried through the streets by hundreds of haneto dancers. The unique point of this festival is that as long as someone is wearing a haneto costume—they are available for rental—they are welcome to participate in the parade. A surefire way to create vivid memories of your trip!

In 2016, UNESCO added 33 Japanese float festivals to its Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity list. They each showcase the diversity of local cultures and the collaborative efforts of members of their respective communities to keep traditional practices alive.

More European nations close down airspace to Russian airlines

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues at pace, a number of other European nations have closed their airspace to Russian flights.  

So far Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, Czechia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Romania and the UK have all closed their airspace on all or most Russian air traffic from their airports or airspace.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has called on neighbouring nations to do the same, "There is no place for planes of the aggressor state in democratic skies."

Latvian Transport Minister Talis Linkaits used social media to confirm "Latvia will close its airspace to Russian-registered airlines for commercial flights,".

Delta Air Lines in the U.S. has confirmed it would suspend its code-sharing deal with the Russian flag carrier Aeroflot.

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IT outage forces British Airways to axe majority of flights from London Heathrow.

The UK's British Airways has been forced to apologise after IT infrastructure issues caused the cancellation and delay of hundreds of European and short-haul flights from Heathrow today. 

The airline decided to concentrate on getting its long-haul flights away, as there was not so many of them and it would be harder for passengers to get to their destinations if they were halted. It, therefore, axed almost all European flights. Boston, New York JFK, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and San Francisco flights were also cancelled and problems continued through the afternoon despite early assurances the technical problems had been rectified. 

There were also a number of flights delayed at two other London airports,  Gatwick and City yet the disruption was greatest at the carrier's home base of London Heathrow where some passengers were stuck on planes after landing and luggage piled up high.

The carrier acknowledged it "let customers down" and would do everything it could to assist them.

"We are extremely sorry that due to the continuing technical issues we are facing we have regrettably had to cancel a significant number of short-haul flights from Heathrow today. 

 

Customers due to travel later today should check their flight status on ba.com before coming to the airport as we anticipate further disruption during the day.

Our long-haul services at Heathrow and all flights at Gatwick and London City Airport are due to operate as planned, but customers may experience some delays. 

We are offering customers on cancelled services the option of a refund or to rebook onto another service. We will be contacting customers proactively."

The airline was still working on the issue and denied it had been a victim of an orchestrated cyber-attack or that any customer data had been leaked. 

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Only 5 hours away, yet its like a different world.....

Only 5 hours away, Jordan has several direct flights from the UK, with Royal Jordanian and British Airways flying from London to Amman. In addition, EasyJet flies from London and Manchester (newly launched) to Aqaba, the South of Jordan on the Red Sea – a perfect winter-sun destination.

Individual travellers are highly recommended to purchase the Jordan Pass as it includes the cost of over 40 tourist attractions including Petra, and the cost of the visa upon arrival, saving both time and money.

If you are looking for a destination with adventure, history and culture, Jordan is the place to be. From the moment you arrive, you can sense its rich heritage. All around are remnants of ancient civilizations, etched into the soul of its people. Jordan boasts a total of 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with the newest addition of As-Salt, named the “city of tolerance and civilized hospitality”, along with Petra, Wadi Rum, Quseir Amra, the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ, and Um-Ar Rasas.

Jordan offers many unique and hands-on cultural experiences. There are several social enterprises satisfying the demand from travellers seeking authentic, sustainable experiences that make a difference and their need to use the power of travel to help locals and communities thrive. These experiences are part of the Meaningful Travel Map.

For more information, visit the Jordan Tourism Board’s website.

THE JORDAN PASS

The Jordan pass is the ultimate sightseeing package that has been especially tailor-made for visitors to the country. It gives pass holders the ability to make the most out of their trip visiting top sights and attractions whilst saving time, money and effort.   https://jordanpass.jo/

Lufthansa Cargo launches new medium-haul network with A321 freighters

A321F to complement freighter network on medium-haul destinations starting in March

From March 1, Lufthansa Cargo customers will also be able to book their cargo on converted A321 medium-haul freighters. With the start of operations on March 15, Lufthansa Cargo will gradually complement the global route network with Istanbul (IST), Tel Aviv (TLV), Malta (MLA), Tunis (TUN), Dublin (DUB) and Manchester (MAN) by operating these freighters. In the summer schedule, the carrier will also add flights to Cairo (CAI) starting March 29. The partially new stations in the freighter network will be served two to three times a week from and to Frankfurt (FRA). The A321F will make its first commercial flight from Frankfurt to Dublin on March 15, 2022. Lufthansa Cargo is thus responding to the continuing growth in demand from the eCommerce industry and can offer customers even more capacity and additional fast connections.

"With the added medium-haul freighters, we are opening up a whole new strategic business segment. In the future, the A321F will offer attractive same-day and eCommerce solutions within Europe and to selected medium-haul destinations, and the new network represents a major step towards the fast-growing eCommerce segment," explains Ashwin Bhat, Chief Commercial Officer Lufthansa Cargo. "On one hand, available capacity in the global airfreight market continues to be scarce and, at the same time, end consumers expect short delivery times for their ordered goods. With the medium-haul freighter, we can close this gap and continue to reliably and quickly provide our customers with the capacity they need with the same quality and expertise for which Lufthansa Cargo is known."

The conversion of the first aircraft with the registration D-AEUC has already been completed. Among other things, the floor has been reinforced accordingly, a roller system for moving cargo and a large cargo door were installed. A total of 14 pallet and container positions in the maindeck and 10 in the lower deck are available to Lufthansa Cargo customers per aircraft. This results in a payload of 28 tons per aircraft. The second medium-haul freighter is expected to enter service in late summer. Both will be operated under a wet lease agreement by Lufthansa CityLine, each under Lufthansa Cargo flight numbers. Lufthansa CityLine, as a Lufthansa Group company, has been working intensively on the technical and operational preparations of this first A321 converted freighter. The twin-engine Airbus A321 is one of the most versatile aircraft in its class: Being able to carry containers in the main deck, it offers fast loading and unloading and therefore enables very efficient flight operations.

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Austrian Airlines flies above pre-crisis level in summer.........

Austrian Airlines has seen a rapid increase in bookings since the recent announcements of large-scale covid restrictions easing throughout Europe. The firm says demand for flights during the Easter holidays is high, with travellers mainly drawn to warm water destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius or Cancún. 

Since the easing announcements in Thailand, Austrian flights to Bangkok have also been in high demand again. Mediterranean destinations such as Málaga or classic city trip destinations such as Paris, Hamburg or Berlin are also popular in spring and have already been increased in some cases with additional frequencies. 

"The huge increase in bookings and the desire to travel of the Austrians do not surprise us. People want to get out and discover new things – Austrian is a travel companion of trust!" says Austrian Board Member for Sales Michael Trestl.

With over 110 destinations and a broad frequency increase, the airline is offering 120% of the pre-crisis year 2019 levels this summer. The need for travellers to catch up is already evident in the booking figures for the summer months. Popular European destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Thessaloniki, Keflavik or Larnaca have been booked thousands of times in the past few days alone. Due to the high demand for flights to the Balearic Islands, Austrian Airlines serves the islands of Mallorca with up to three flights a day and Ibiza with up to five flights a week in summer. Austrian flights across the Atlantic are also heavily booked. With the resumption of Los Angeles in the route network, Austrian Airlines will offer up to 33 weekly direct connections to the USA from May. For the summer flight schedule, Austrian Airlines is reactivating all aircraft in its fleet in order to fly hundreds of thousands of travellers safely on holiday.

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Richard F. Ambrose joins Textron as a director

Textron has announced that Richard F. Ambrose has been elected to the company's Board of Directors, effective April 1, 2022. Ambrose will be retiring, effective March 1, 2022, as the Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Corporation’s Space business after over 20 years at Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Richard Ambrose to our Board," said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly. "Richard’s extensive experience in the aerospace and defense industry and with U.S. Government defense programs will be invaluable to Textron," Donnelly added.

At Lockheed Martin Space, Ambrose managed a $12 billion enterprise which employs approximately 22,000 people and provides advanced technology systems for national security, civil and commercial customers. Prior to his most recent role, which he assumed in 2013, he served as President, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions-National from 2011-2012 and as Vice President & General Manager, Lockheed Martin Surveillance & Navigation Systems line of business within Space from 2006 through 2010. He joined Lockheed in 2000 as Vice President & General Manager, Lockheed Martin Ground Systems and served as President, Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors Tactical Systems from 2004-2006.

Prior to Lockheed, Ambrose was President & General Manager, Space Systems, Hughes Information Systems (which merged with Raytheon C3I Systems in 1997) from 1995-2000. He has a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from DeVry Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Denver.

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Eurowings ramping up schedules for summer season as demand increases

 Eurowings ramping up schedules for the summer season as demand increases

Eurowings is preparing for a summer with enormous catch-up effects. After a significant increase in tourist flight bookings – several tens of thousands every day – demand for business routes is also picking up. After two years of the pandemic and months of working from home, the desire for freedom in both private and professional contexts is becoming stronger and stronger: people have had to postpone their vacations, long-planned visit to friends and family or trips to see their business partners, sometimes several times.

After numerous countries, such as Spain, Sweden or Denmark, have already largely returned to normality, the German government has also decided on far-reaching relaxations: almost all Covid-related measures are to be lifted by the end of March. Against this background, people's longing to finally be able to travel again is coming into focus.

Jens Bischof, CEO Eurowings: "The current formula is: the longer the contact restrictions, the greater the desire to travel. After two years of the pandemic, millions of people finally want to catch up on their holidays or meet important business contacts in person again. Our increase in bookings is currently following the 'ketchup bottle principle': first nothing for a long time, then everything at once."

CEO Jens Bischof: "Millions of people finally want to catch up on their holidays or meet important business contacts in person again after two years of the pandemic".

Expansion of the flight schedule

Eurowings is responding to the rising demand by significantly increasing its frequencies on both leisure and business routes.

Business routes to be resumed by the end of March

In the context of the pandemic, Eurowings had to temporarily suspend some routes. With the increasing demand on business routes, numerous domestic and European connections will be resumed by the end of March.

From Hamburg, for example, there will be up to eleven flights a week to Amsterdam and up to nine flights a week to Nuremberg.

SWISS shows off its first Boeing 777-300ER with new Premium Economy Class

Zurich based SWISS has shown off its first aircraft to be equipped with its new Premium Economy Class this week. The aircraft, a Boeing 777-300ER registration HB-JNH is the first to be fitted with the new class which will now complement Economy, Business and First Class products. The new class will be gradually installed on all 12 of the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER long-haul aircraft.   HB-JNH, will be deployed on SWISS’s Zurich-Miami services from the beginning of March onwards.

“Our SWISS Premium Economy Class is a top-quality standout product against our international competitors,” says SWISS Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi Pour. “And I am delighted that we can now offer our customers this new best-in-class air travel experience. Our Premium Economy Class should be especially appealing to travellers who have flown Economy Class to date and would like to enhance their inflight comfort and convenience. So it also helps us strengthen our premium-carrier positioning in the growing leisure travel market.”

In an initial step, SWISS’s new Premium Economy Class will be successively installed in all 12 of its Boeing 777-300ERs. After Miami, the next SWISS destinations to be served with SWISS Premium Economy-equipped aircraft will be San Francisco on the US West Coast from mid-April and São Paulo in Brazil from the end of April. Premium Economy will be available on all of SWISS’s Boeing 777-300ER routes from the end of May onwards.

The new SWISS Premium Economy Class will offer 24 latest-generation seats from manufacturer ZIM, with fabrics provided by the Bern-based Lantal company and feature a hardshell design that enables them to be easily reclined at no inconvenience to the passenger behind. For greater inflight comfort, SWISS Premium Economy Class travellers are given a complimentary amenity kit. The kit, which is provided by the Skysupply company, makes innovative use of kraft paper and paper pulp in its contents to minimize plastic use. “We put a strong emphasis at SWISS on making the whole travel chain as sustainable as possible,” explains CCO Tamur Goudarzi Pour, “because we don’t just want to be a premium carrier for our guests: we want to live up consistently to all our responsibilities to the climate and to society, too.” SWISS Premium Economy Class travellers are also provided with quality noise-reducing headphones that will further enhance their experience of the inflight audio and video entertainment available on their 15.6-inch at-seat screen.

SWISS’s inflight culinary offering has also been specially modified to accommodate the new class of travel. SWISS Premium Economy guests receive a refreshing welcome drink and are offered a choice of three hot meals.

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Gulf Air at the Bahrain Pavilion at Dubai Expo

Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in coordination with Bahrain Authority of Culture & Antiquities (BACA) and Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority (BTEA) is at the Bahrain Pavilion at EXPO 2020 held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

The carrier will be at the global event until the end of the major global event on March 31st and has created a space for visitors to Explore Bahrain and Explore Gulf Air with a series of videos and interactive elements to highlight the hub of the airline.

Commenting at the airline’s participation at EXPO 2020, Gulf Air’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Captain Waleed AlAlawi commented: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Bahrain Authority of Culture and Antiquities and the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority to showcase our beautiful Kingdom and its national carrier at the Bahrain Pavilion. Visitors of EXPO 2020 in the United Arab Emirates are encouraged to connect with our brand, learn more about what we have to offer, and be guided on booking a trip to the Kingdom of Bahrain through gulfair.com.”

Visitors are introduced to Gulf Air’s products and services along with a glimpse of the experience of flying on the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as being able to interact with the brand by scanning codes within the space. Additionally, content of the Kingdom of Bahrain along with codes that can be scanned by visitors to introduce them to touristic and cultural activities of Bahrain are on display, alongside exclusive footage of the Kingdom provided by the Bahrain Authority of Culture & Antiquities (BACA), Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority (BTEA), and the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB).

The Bahrain Stopover, relaunched in December 2021 in collaboration with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority; gives eligible Gulf Air’s passengers the opportunity to stop in Bahrain, obtain hotel reservations, and use tourist facilities through various tailored packages and offers, before continuing on to their final destinations, including no visa fees and no PCR test on arrival fee.

Lufthansa offers more than 50 additional flights from and to Frankfurt and Munich as Easter demand jumps

From Frankfurt more than 30 additional flights to Palma de Mallorca, Faro, Funchal and Larnaca

From Munich more than 20 additional flights to Faro, Heraklion, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Palma de Mallorca

The easing of travel restrictions across Europe is giving many airlines a noticeable surge in demand for the Easter vacations. Last week was the most successful booking week for the German airline Lufthansa in the last two years, with a four-fold increase in new bookings compared to the same week in 2021.

To meet the high demand, especially of “sun seekers,” Lufthansa is now offering at short notice or the upcoming Easter holidays more than 50 additional flights to and from Frankfurt as well as Munich. From Frankfurt, vacationers can look forward to more than 30 additional flights to the south during the Easter vacations. Five additional connections from Frankfurt to Palma de Mallorca (Spain), five connections to Faro (Portugal), three connections to Funchal on Madeira (Portugal) and two connections to Larnaca (Cyprus) are now also in the flight schedule.

More than 20 extra flights will be operated from Munich, flying guests to the most beautiful vacation regions in Europe. The following connections from Munich will be added to the already expanded flight schedule: twice to Faro (Portugal), twice to Heraklion (Greece), twice each to Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and a connection to Palma de Mallorca (all Spain).

The most popular countries for travel of Lufthansa guests for the Easter holidays as well as the coming summer are Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. Particularly worth mentioning is the comeback of city breaks. Barcelona, London, Rome, Oslo and Athens are in particular demand for city trips in the coming spring and summer. The number of connections to these and many other cities has doubled compared with the previous year.

The current entry and quarantine regulations apply to travellers. Lufthansa continues to offer all customers maximum booking security and flexibility. This enables risk-free vacation planning: all fares can still be rebooked. Customers can find the latest information on entry requirements at lufthansa.com.

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