Empire State Building Run-Up Presented by Turkish Airlines

The Empire State Building announced yesterday that elite tower runner Suzy Walsham of Singapore will return to the World's Most Famous Building on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, for the Empire State Building Run-Up Presented by Turkish Airlines Powered by the Challenged Athletes Foundation, to defend her title as the most decorated athlete in this race's history.

Walsham earned her fifth-straight and record-breaking eighth overall victory in the 2017 Empire State Building Run-Up women's invitational heat with a time of 12 minutes, 11 seconds. The 41st annual race will pit Walsham against U.S.-based rivals Cindy Harris – currently the No. 2-ranked female tower runner in the world behind Walsham – Meg Santana and Stephanie Hucko.

Special Offer

Special offers coming soon

Air Malta and airBaltic to Start Codeshare Flights

The Latvian airline airBaltic and the national airline of the Maltese Islands – Air Malta have concluded a cooperation agreement, known as code-share agreement. This partnership with Air Malta will enable airBaltic passengers to reach Malta every day via common gateways in Europe as well as additional destinations served from Malta. In turn this agreement will offer Air Malta passengers better connectivity to the Baltics and Eastern Europe.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “We are delighted to collaborate with Air Malta thus further improving our strong network of codeshare partner airlines that ensures smooth and seamless travel for airBaltic customers. The new codeshare agreement will improve airBaltic services between Malta and the Baltics allowing passengers to connect every day on this route via such common gateways as Vienna, Munich, Brussels, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Geneva, Zurich among others.”

Paul Sies, Chief Commercial Officer at Air Malta: “This agreement is yet another milestone for Air Malta in its growth strategy and widening its network. We are rapidly changing, transforming our business model to a hybrid carrier whilst rapidly increasing our frequencies on existing routes, we are opening new destinations and adding partnerships to the network. This agreement continues to expand and improve our network and adds to our range of codeshare partners with other like-minded quality airlines. Both Air Malta and airBaltic share the same commitment towards their customers and we are excited to work with them for the benefit of our mutual customers.”

British Airways introduce inflight Wi-Fi on long-haul flights - at last

British Airways has started fitting its long-haul aircraft with high-speed Wi-Fi, so far three aircraft have the service connected and the carrier hopes to have 118 more aircraft online within the next two years. 

Using the latest generation technology, British Airways will provide high-speed bandwidth to customers, with the internet being available approximately 10 minutes after take-off when the aircraft has passed 10,000ft. The portal will work with the latest operating systems from Apple, Android and Windows, allowing customers to connect on a variety of devices.

To celebrate the launch, British Airways is partnering with Visa to connect customers on board the first Wi-Fi enabled flights. For a limited time, customers will be able to connect to high-speed Wi-Fi and enjoy an hour of free browsing and streaming, courtesy of Visa.

Customers can choose from two levels of connectivity, the ‘Browse’ package, which supports internet surfing, social media and WhatsApp which starts at £4.99 an hour, or the ‘Stream’ package, which allows streaming of music, movies and other entertainment, which has a starting price of £7.99. The packages are available to purchase for one hour, four hours or the full flight.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, said “British Airways has launched its multi-million-pound investment plan to benefit its customers with more choice and quality for all.  Staying connected is important to our customers who want to be able to work, browse and stream in the air. They can now look forward to enjoying the latest generation Wi-Fi across our long-haul fleet over the next two years.”

The Wi-Fi Service allows customers to transmit content and whilst they retain ownership of any intellectual property rights they hold for that content, you'll find buried in BA's terms and conditions for the Wi-Fi that when you transmit content, you give BA, their providers and service partners the worldwide rights to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute such content. 

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

More flights to China from Philippine Airlines

Philippine Airlines has announced that from the 25th March 2018 it will increase the number of flights it operates to China.

The airline said today that from March it will increase the number of flights it offers from 99 to 103 a week. Part of the aim of the increase is to encourage more Chinese tourists to come to the Philippines, the airline advises.  "In support of the national campaign targeting 2 million annual Chinese tourist arrivals, Philippine Airlines is ramping up operations to China by increasing flight frequency on existing routes and opening up new destinations in China." the company said.

"The spike is due to the shift to daily Manila- Jinjiang and Manila-Guangzhou services from the current five times weekly on each route," the statement continues,  "These numbers are expected to continue surging in 2018 as PAL further expands flights in the coming months from new Chinese cities: the industrial mega-city of Tianjin in northern China, the commercial trading center of Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta, and the southern city of Nanning that hosts the annual China-ASEAN Expo," 

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Emirates to launch services to Santiago de Chile via Sao Paulo

Emirates, the world’s best airline according to TripAdvisor 2017,  announced this week
its plan to launch a new, five times a week, service from Dubai to Santiago International Airport (SCL), via the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, starting on July 5, 2018.

The new service will see Emirates fly an additional five times a week to Sao Paulo, complementing the airline’s existing daily A380 flight between Dubai and Sao Paulo. In total, Emirates will now fly 12 times a week to Sao Paulo. Emirates' Santiago flight will be a linked service with Sao Paulo, meaning that customers in South America can now travel between the two cities in unprecedented style and comfort. Citizens from both Brazil and Chile only need ID cards to travel to either country.

The new route will be operated with a two-class configured Boeing 777-200LR which offers 38 Business Class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and 264 seats in Economy Class. The new 777 flight will also offer up to 14 tonnes of capacity for cargo, opening up access to more global markets for Chilean exports such as fish, seafood, cherries, flowers and general perishable goods.

Commenting on the new Emirates route, Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline, said “The start of our operations to Chile underlines our commitment to South America with our fourth destination on the continent and another five flights to Sao Paulo. We are pleased to add a destination that has been in strong demand from our customers and look forward to working with stakeholders in Chile to provide our unique product and award-winning service to passengers there.”

CS300 to Brussels for airBaltic and will be off to Almaty in April

AirBaltic is expanding its CSeries CS300 route network and today marked the first CS300 service between Riga and Brussels and the low-cost friendly airline celebrated the occasion with sweet little treats!

To learn more about the airBaltic Cseries 300  

The route network for the airline and its super efficient CSeries aircraft further expands in April as the carrier launches a new summer seasonal route between Riga and Almaty in Kazakhstan.  The service starts on 29th April 2018 and gives many travel options for travellers from the Baltics and Kazakhstan to airBaltic's growing network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia and the Middle East.

Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic: “We are now the first Northern European airline to launch direct flights to Almaty, which is a vibrant city in the heart of Kazakhstan. Riga – Almaty will be the second longest flight on our network. We are delighted to offer our European passengers a new and exciting destination in CIS as well to improve connectivity between the Baltics, Europe and Scandinavia for travellers from Kazakhstan.”

airBaltic will fly from Riga to Almaty 3 times a week on the Bombardier CS300 aircraft which takes approximately 5 hours and 15 minutes. The carrier tells us that fares start at just 159 EUR one way, including airport fees and transaction costs.

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Ethiopian Airlines launch Geneva Service

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa has announced a new Swiss service. From the 3rd June, the carrier launch a three times a week service to Geneva, Switzerland via Milan.

Geneva is a popular destination, hosting the highest number of international organizations in the world including the headquarters of many of the agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross, Geneva is a global city and center for diplomacy.

Emirates passenger claims he was hit and tied to a seat.

A flight to the USA to reunite a Nigerian man with his family turned into a disaster and a torturous ride as he claims he was bound and punched him by cabin crew who also taped his mouth shut for hours!.

David Ukesone who is 71 years old and was flying with Emirates from Nairobi to Chicago via Dubai on 23rd January.  His first flight passed uneventfully, however after boarding EK235 his onward flight from Dubai to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, things took a turn for the worse.

According to local media reports and Mr Ukesone's legal advisor, the 71-year-old was given a boarding pass for seat 35D, departing Dubai at 9:45 pm. During the flight, approximately seven hours from Chicago, Alex Ogoke, Ukesone's attorney says his client went to the restroom, when he returned he miscalculated and sat in the wrong seat. 

The seat he sat in was meant for the crew, it's been reported and when the Emirates cabin crew informed Mr Ukesone that he'd made a mistake and was in the wrong seat, he became confused and believed he was "in the right" and didn't understand why they wanted him to move.

This story continues - 

Dreamliner service to Moscow from Vietnam Airlines

The national flag carrier of Vietnam has confirmed it will operate its Hanoi to Moscow service with its new Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner aircraft.

The airline has scheduled the first Dreamliner service depart on 27th March and will carry 311 passengers.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the news, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Ngo Duc Manh stated Vietnam Airlines’ operation of Dreamliner Boeing 787-9 on the route showed Vietnam’s appreciation of its partnership with Russia.

Le Thanh Dung, head of Vietnam Airlines in Russia advised it was the airlines' intention to consolidate its foothold in Russia and expand its network to the vast nation.

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Bombardier Presence at Singapore Airshow Underscores The Importance of the Asia-Pacific Region

Bombardier Commercial Aircraft will be displaying a Philippine Airlines dual-class 86-seat Q400 regional turboprop, as well as an airBaltic CS300 aircraft at the 2018 Singapore Airshow, which runs from February 6 to 11.  

“Asia-Pacific is a region of unmatched opportunities where Bombardier has recently gained significant momentum. The CS300 aircraft’s recent Asian commercial debut with Korean Air Lines highlights our breakthrough into the region’s fast-growing market,” said Fred Cromer, President, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “Passenger demand in the region is increasing fast, driving demand for more short-haul aircraft, more flight frequencies and more city pairs to increase connectivity. We are confident our product line-up will continue to be instrumental in supporting intra-regional growth, as well as further protecting passenger yields in the region.”

Boeing Delivers First 737 MAX for Oman Air

Boeing and Oman Air celebrated the delivery of the airline's first 737 MAX aeroplane, one of 30 that Oman Air will operate as it expands its fleet and service.

The flag carrier of the Sultanate of Oman has long operated the efficient and reliable Boeing 737.  With the MAX, Oman Air will be able to achieve a double-digit percentage improvement in fuel efficiency.

Flag carrier of Oman to operate a total of 30 MAX aeroplanes

"At Oman Air, offering the best possible onboard experience is key to our success and the 737 MAX has already earned a reputation for its exceptional performance, efficiency and guest experience," said Abdulaziz Al-Raisi, Acting CEO, Oman Air. "The aircraft will be a perfect complement to our 737 family as we continue to expand our operations and play an increasingly active role in promoting Oman for business as well as a unique tourism destination, which is growing rapidly in popularity with every passing year."

Hawaiian Airlines results for 2017

Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. reported its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2017 yesterday,

"We're delighted to report record earnings for 2017 after our fourth quarter results cap an extremely strong year for Hawaiian" said Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO.  "Robust demand in all of our major geographies and moderate industry capacity growth offset the rising price of fuel.  We carried more guests this year than ever before and set new records for fourth quarter and full year revenue.  These results are the product of the tireless efforts of the 6,600 employees who deliver authentic Hawaiian hospitality on the ground and in the air every single day.

Looking ahead, 2018 stands to be a year that Hawaiian enters into the last phase of a strategy mapped out over a decade ago.  With new aircraft, new markets, and product enhancements tailored to the needs of the Hawai'i traveler, we are better equipped to compete today than at any time in our past.  We look forward to the year ahead and all that it has in store."

The new long range single aisle A321LR completes maiden flight

There was much excitment as Airbus’ first A321LR (Long Range), MSN7877 accomplished its maiden flight following a mission lasting 2 hours and 36 minutes. 

The aircraft powered by CFM Leap-1A engines is now set to undergo a nearly 100 hour flight test programme, including trans-Atlantic missions, for EASA and FAA Type Certification in Q2 2018. Entry into service is targeted for Q4 2018.

The aircraft’s crew comprised: Experimental Test Pilots Yann Beaufils and Peter Lofts as well as Flight Test Engineers Frank Hohmeister, Jim Fawcett, Cedric Favrichon and Cabin Specialist Alexander Gentzsch. During the flight, the crew tested the aircraft’s flight controls, engines and main systems including flight envelope protections, both at high and low speed.

from left to right : Cedric Favrichon Test Flight Engineer, Frank Hohmeister Flight Test Engineer, Jim Fawcett Flight Test Engineer, Pete Lofts Experimental Test Pilot, Alexander Gentzsch Ground Test Engineer,
Yann Beaufils Experimental Test Pilot 

Klaus Roewe, Head of A320 Programme stated: “Thanks to its outstanding performance and unbeatable efficiency, the A321LR will allow our customers to perform flights of up to 4,000nm, allowing them to open new routes – for example transatlantic - and conquer new markets.”

The A321LR features a new door configuration, enabling its operators to accommodate up to 240 passengers in Airbus’ widest Single Aisle fuselage in the sky. The new Airspace by Airbus cabin available on the A320 Family additionally enhances the passengers’ unrivalled travel experience. With further options, combining an increased Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) of 97 tonnes and a third Additional Centre Fuel Tank (ACT), the aircraft’s range extends to 4000nm (7400 km), allowing airlines to tap into new market opportunities.

Incorporating the latest engines, aerodynamic advances, and cabin innovations, the A321neo offers a significant reduction in fuel consumption of 20 percent by 2020. With more than 1900 orders received from over than 50 customers, to date the A321neo has captured a solid 80 percent market share, making it the true aircraft of choice in the Middle of the Market.

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

US & Qatar reach agreement on subsidy argument

The United States and Qatar on Tuesday confirmed and signed a deal to resolve the long running dispute over alleged airline subsidies. The agreement comes as the Qatari government works to defuse mounting tensions with the Trump administration.

A formal announcement came Tuesday, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis hosted the inaugural round of the U.S.-Qatar strategic dialogue. Agreements, on security and counter-terrorism cooperation and combatting human trafficking, were also signed.

“Qatar is a strong partner and long-time friend of the United States,” Tillerson said, welcoming the agreements. Tuesday’s meeting follows harsh criticism of Qatar from President Donald Trump. He denounced the country last year for allegedly funding terrorism amid a row between the country and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, who have imposed a land, sea and air blockade on it.

Tillerson and Mattis said the U.S. remains deeply concerned about the situation as it nears its eight-month mark, including hostile “rhetoric and propaganda” being employed. They called on all parties to the dispute to renew efforts to end it.

Qatar is home to a major U.S. military base that is key to the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and Mattis said that “a united GCC bolsters our effectiveness on many fronts.”

TUI get first 737 MAX 8

Boeing and TUI Group, one of the world's largest tourism/holiday companies celebrated the delivery of the operator's first 737 MAX 8. It is hoped the aircraft e will play a key role in TUI Group's ambition to operate Europe's most carbon efficient airlines and regain profitiability for the group.

"The 737 MAX is a great fit for TUI Group, with 14 percent lower carbon emissions and a 40 percent smaller noise footprint supporting its airlines commitment to sustainability," said Monty Oliver, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We are honored by TUI Group's continued confidence in our products and look forward to the many MAX deliveries that lie ahead."

TUI Group has 51 additional orders of the 737 MAX 8 and four 787 Dreamliners. The Group also has 18 unfilled orders for the 737 MAX 10 and was the first European operator to select the latest and largest member of the 737 MAX family of aircraft.

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Allegiant Announces Donation To Las Vegas Victims' Fund

The Las Vegas-based super low cost airline, Allegiant today announces a donation of $362,358 to the Las Vegas Victims' Fund, supporting those impacted by the tragic events of October 1. Allegiant team members from across the country raised more than $181,000 by donating hours of paid leave time. The company's leadership team matched employees' contributions personally.

Boeing Reports Record 2017 Results

The Boeing Company reported fourth-quarter revenue of $25.4 billion with GAAP earnings per share of $5.18 and core earnings per share (non-GAAP)* of $4.80 reflecting record deliveries and strong performance, as well as favorable tax reform of $1.74 per share (Table 1).

Revenue was $93.4 billion for the full year reflecting deliveries mix with GAAP earnings per share of $13.43 and core earnings per share (non-GAAP)* of $12.04 reflecting strong execution and favorable tax reform.

"Across Boeing our teams delivered a record year of financial and operational performance as they focused on disciplined execution of production and development programs, growing services, and delivering value to customers," said Boeing Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg. "That performance enables increased investments in our people and our business, and greater cash return to shareholders."

"In 2017 we delivered the first 737 MAX airplanes, launched the 737 MAX 10 and completed the 787-10 first flight, all while delivering more commercial airplanes than ever before. We flew the first KC-46 Tanker to be delivered to the U.S. Air Force, were awarded an initial contract for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, and a contract to provide 36 F-15 fighters to Qatar. We launched Boeing Global Services during the year, to deliver greater lifecycle value, and achieved growth that outpaced the market."

"We actively positioned for future markets and growth by developing new products and services, investing to build vertical capabilities, launching the HorizonX innovation organization and bringing in new capabilities, including the acquisition of Aurora Flight Sciences. Looking forward, our team remains focused on winning through innovation, driving growth and productivity and extending our position as the world's leading aerospace company – delivering the best value to our customers, our employees and our shareholders."

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Which African airline carries 130 tons of flowers each day?

The National flag carrier of Ethiopia has launched a direct freighter flight from Bahir Dar to Liege, one of the largest Ethiopian flower importer destinations. The service will carry 45 tons of flowers and took to the air for the first time on 24th January 2018.

 Ethiopian says it has always been at the forefront of cargo conveyance from the country to support the national economy and has one of the biggest route networks for any airline in the region. Marking the launch of the service,  Tewolde Gebremariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines said -

“Today marks yet another big milestone in the history of Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services for we start direct freighter service dedicated to flower with the aim of delivering the best flower produces of the country to end users fresh, timely and direct from the farm to Ethiopian flower in Europe. With its daily freighter services to Belgium, Liege and Brussels, Ethiopian transports a total of 130 tons of flowers."

"As always, Ethiopian has positioned itself as the major catalyst for the movement of these products from the country to the world via its rich global network. Today’s milestone is a showcase that Ethiopian will also launch similar services from other flower producing regional states. Ethiopia being rich with abundant fertile land, it can reach to the global market with its fresh and quality flowers among other agricultural produces. We shall continue to support the export sector and the national economy with our convenient global cargo and passenger services.”

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Singapore Airlines To Launch Melbourne-Wellington Services And Daily Flights To Canberra

Singapore Airlines announced last week that it will introduce a new service that will connect Singapore and Melbourne to New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. The new service will be introduced as part of a restructuring of existing Singapore-Canberra-Wellington flights, which will see the Canberra-Wellington flights de-linked and Canberra served on a daily basis, up from the existing four times per week. 

The new Singapore-Melbourne-Wellington service will be operated four times per week as SQ247 starting 3rd May 2018. Return services will be operated as SQ248 on a Wellington-Melbourne-Singapore routing.

Flights will be operated with 266-seat Boeing 777-200s fitted with 38 Business Class seats and 228 Economy Class seats.

Also on 1st May 2018, SIA will launch a new daily service to Australia’s capital city, Canberra, via Sydney. Flights will be operated as SQ288 on a Singapore-Sydney-Canberra routing. Return services will be operated as SQ288 on a Canberra-Singapore routing. 

The Airline will operate services to Canberra via Sydney using its 264-seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fitted with four First Class seats, 48 Business Class seats, 28 Premium Economy Class seats and 184 Economy Class seats.

SIA first launched services from Singapore to Canberra and Wellington in September 2016. It also became the first airline to operate regularly scheduled international flights to and from Australia’s capital city. 

SriLankan Airlines boss told to resign or be ousted

The CEO of SriLankan Airlines is about the vacate the post, according to local media.  Suren Ratwatte position is untenable after the board of directors decided his services should be terminated at a special meeting on 25th January, following which they had asked him to resign.

Mr Ratwatte, however, decided to take a last minute holiday to Australia and is reported to be in the Melbourne area and has, as yet, not tended his resignation.

The directors are meeting again on 2nd February where it is believed they will decide on the exit strategy and leaving package for Ratwatte, should he not offer his resignation.  

Ratwatte had recently faced criticism of his management style, leadership qualities, decision making and alleged abuses of power from a consortium of employees, who wrote to the board to express their complete lack of confidence in the CEO. 

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Ryanair to recognise pilots unions - at last

After years of trying, British pilots working for Ryanair have finally won the right to be represented by a union as the budget carrier has agreed to recognise a union to represent its entire 600 strong UK based compliment of pilots. 

Michael O'Leary, the boss of the Irish airline who famously has contempt for all pilots - seeing them as little more than 'glorified taxi drivers'  had previously refused point blank to recognise the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa), yet in massive climb down last month the airline was forced to start the process of recognising pilot unions in a bid to avert a series of strikes, not only in the UK but also at its bases throughout Europe. 

Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton said the agreement was historic "given Ryanair's previous hostility towards unions".

"While we were initially sceptical about Ryanair's sincerity in offering recognition to us and other unions, our conversations and meetings with them have shown that they are genuine in wanting a constructive trade union relationship," he said.

Balpa will now elect five union representatives who will head up all future negotiations between pilots and the company on issues including hours, rostering, holidays and pay.  The about-turn on union recognition follows a particularly turbulent time for the low-fare high-fee airline which saw the airline cancel hundreds of thousands of flights in the wake of pilot shortages over a cock-up with rostas and the airlines' desperate bid to raise its on-time operation limit to ensure continued shareholder investment. 

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

Chinese flights scrapped in Taiwan row

Tensions are mounting again in the skies between China and Taiwan as two Chinese airlines have halted flights between China and Taiwan, as the row between Beijing and Taipei over access to air routes intensifies.

Both China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines had planned to operate an extra 176 round trips over the Lunar New Year holiday period. However, Taipei has refused to authorise the flights, for which tens of thousands of people had already bought tickets.

It is a position that could potentially leave hundreds of passengers stranded as they try to get home for what is considered to be the biggest holiday of the year. According to press statements from both airlines, they say they had no other choice other than to halt the flights. 

Aviation commentators indicate that refusal to agree to those extra flights is a retaliation from Taiwan after China opened up several new air routes that both China Eastern and Xiamen Airlines had been taking advantage of. Taiwanese authorities state China's actions risked flight safety as well as going against a deal to discuss such flight paths before they came into operation, that had been agreed in 2015

Those new routes have included a contentious northbound route 'M503' which proceeds along the Taiwan Strait which divides China from the self-ruling island.

Beijing however, insists they had every right to open up the routes, including M503, which it said was "designed by China in cooperation with the United States and other countries" in 2007. They also said they had notified Taipei of the planned routes to avoid any safety issues. 

❗This article was written for this site by a member of our team 🙋, please do share it with your friends via social media. You are also welcome to post it or republish elsewhere on the 🌎web on the condition that you credit the author and link back to our site. Thank you.

 ♻ We care about the environment, please think twice before you hit ‘print’  

WestJet enhances services from Edmonton and Vancouver

 WestJet announced yesterday it has again enhanced its schedule and connectivity out of Edmonton International Airport (EIA) to key business and leisure destinations in Canada and the U.S., adding 23 weekly flights.

"WestJet continues to invest in Edmonton and Northern Alberta with increased service, connectivity and frequencies," said Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. "As the largest airline flying out of EIA, we are providing schedules to key business destinations like Calgary and Fort McMurray while giving local leisure travellers the opportunity to visit destinations like Las Vegas on a schedule that fits their own."

Details of WestJet's increased service from Edmonton:

Edmonton-Calgary, from 77 to 86 times weekly (12 times each business day).

Edmonton-Vancouver, from 49 to 58 times weekly (nine times each business day).

Edmonton-Kelowna, from 48 to 49 times weekly (seven times daily).

Edmonton-Fort McMurray, from 24 to 25 times weekly.

Edmonton-Saskatoon, from 19 to 20 times weekly.

Edmonton-Las Vegas, from 10 to 11 times weekly.

Edmonton-Los Angeles from six to seven times weekly (once daily).

This summer, WestJet will operate an average of 62 daily flights from Edmonton International Airport. In the past 10 years, WestJet has increased capacity out of EIA by 52 per cent and now accounts for 73 per cent of the capacity out of the city, measured in available seat miles.

"The increase in number of non-stop flights per week between Edmonton and these select markets is great news for EIA and our passengers," said Tom Ruth, President and CEO, Edmonton International Airport. "WestJet continues to show leadership in air service offerings in Edmonton, and we are proud to grow as partners together."  

Air China launches Hangzhou - Nha Trang and Chengdu - Bangkok routes

Air China will launch a new direct route between Hangzhou and Nha Trang on February 1, 2018, and between Chengdu and Bangkok on February 12, 2018. With Air China, passengers no longer need waste time transferring between flights on their way to the sunny shores of Southeast Asia.

Nha Trang and Bangkok are famous holiday destinations in Southeast Asia, and they are becoming ever more popular with mainland China tourists. In 2017, Chinese tourists took more than 4 million trips to Vietnam and more than 9.5 million trips to Thailand. This was a rapid increase on previous years for both countries. With its turquoise sea and long sandy beach, Nha Trang has been called "one of the top 50 must-travel destinations" by National Geographic. Bangkok, meanwhile, is famed for its culinary prowess, gorgeous islands, historical pagodas and exciting nightlife, making the city a popular choice for tourists.

WestJet heads to Paris and London from Halifax

One-way intro fares from Halifax to Paris or London for just $199 all-in

WestJet today announced that it is again connecting Atlantic Canada to the world by air with daily direct flights between Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) and Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris and Gatwick Airport (LGW) in London, U.K. These flights are part of the WestJet 2018 summer schedule also released today.

All flights will be operated on the airline's newest, most efficient and guest-friendly aircraft, the Boeing 737-8 MAX. One-way intro fares from Halifax to Paris or London are available now for just $199 all in.

"As the carrier with the most transatlantic flights from Halifax, we are thrilled to announce our first foray onto the European mainland," said Ed Sims, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Commercial. "Venturing to London and now Paris is an indication of our ambitious growth plans as we move towards becoming a global network carrier. This is an investment that will help launch new flights in the future and further expand our presence in YHZ – a key driver in economic and employment growth."  

"I would like to applaud WestJet's continued investments in Nova Scotia," said Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board. "These additional flights to Paris and London will assist to grow the tourism industry and strengthen our region's economic and social connections to Europe and the U.K."

"We are very pleased that WestJet continues to strengthen their presence in Nova Scotia and will expand flight service to Europe," said Minister Geoff MacLellan on behalf of Premier Stephen McNeil. "Nova Scotia has a growing economy and this connection is a tremendous opportunity to enhance trade and investment relationships, strengthen cultural ties and promote Nova Scotia as a great place to live, study and visit."

Follow in the footsteps of the Royal Tour to Scandinavia with Norwegian

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to visit Norway and Sweden this week

Norwegian is making it even easier for holidaymakers to follow in the footsteps of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as they embark on a Royal tour to Norway and Sweden later this week, with eight direct routes to Oslo and Stockholm from the UK and Ireland.

The couple will spend two days in Stockholm before heading to Oslo for an action-packed tour of the cities. While in Stockholm travellers can give their trip the Royal treatment by heading to the Royal Palace of Stockholm before taking a picturesque walk through the cobbled stress of Stockholm to the Nobel Museum. Finish the day by taking a boat ride to Fotografiska for fantastic views of the harbour at night.

Norwegian flies direct to Stockholm from London Gatwick, Edinburgh, Dublin and Manchester offering 37 weekly flights from £35/€29 one-way.

While in Oslo take in the same sights as the Royal couple and explore the Alexandra Sculpture Park set within the Palace gardens before visiting Skaugum, the official residence of The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway. For spectacular views of the city and beyond beautiful setting of Holmenkollen, the snowy hills that overlook Oslo.

Calgary's largest airline continues to shape YYC hub with the most seats, flights and destinations

WestJet today announced that it has again enhanced its schedule and connectivity out of its Calgary hub to key business and tourism destinations in Canada and the U.S., adding 72 more weekly flights. WestJet already offers more flights to more destinations from Calgary than any other airline, and these flight additions once again make YYC its largest hub.

"WestJet will increase service from Calgary, our largest hub, by six dozen weekly flights this summer," said Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President, Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. "This additional service means business travellers will be able to take advantage of increased frequencies and more convenient schedules from Calgary to key business destinations like Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal and Halifax while better day-of-week schedules allow for increased connectivity for guests connecting to the greater WestJet network."

Cork - New route to Paris and beyond with Air France

Travellers in Ireland will be pleased to hear their holiday options have expanded, thanks to the launch of a new Air France route from Cork in May.

Seasonal Paris service starts 26 May and runs until 27th October

The new daily route will fly to Paris Charles de Gaulle, allowing Irish passengers to connect with the airline’s vast network of flights worldwide, reaching more than 180 destinations.

The seasonal service will run from May 26 to October 27, departing Cork at 4.30pm and landing in Paris at 7.20pm (local time). The return leg departs Paris at 3.55pm (local time) and arrives at Cork at 3.50pm. All flights will be operated by Air France Hop! using Embraer 170 aircraft, with fares starting from €129 return in economy including all taxes.

The airline has also launched several other exciting new destinations from its Paris hub. Here are a few options Irish travellers might want to consider for a holiday…