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Iraqi Airways will begin passenger flights to neighboring Turkey for the first time in 15 years, its sales representative in Istanbul said on Thursday.
The national carrier grounded its planes in the early 1990s due to UN sanctions, and much of the carrier's fleet and assets were destroyed during the 2003 US-led war and in post-war looting.
It resumed international flights last year. It has since begun rebuilding its fleet, purchasing a 1983 Boeing 737 and leasing another plane of the same type, as well as a Boeing 727 and Boeing 767. It launched flights to Amman and Damascus earlier this year.
"As part of its reconstruction, Iraq has picked up where it left off in air transportation due to long-term sanctions and the war," its Turkey-based representative Fly Service said in a statement.
The flagship carrier will on August 3 begin flights between Baghdad and Istanbul on Mondays and Thursdays. It will also offer cargo flights three times a month, the statement said.
"Iraqi Airways will securely carry both Turkish businessmen involved in Iraqi commerce and their cargo. These flights will help commercial relations between Iraq and Turkey as well as bilateral relations," the statement said.
(Reuters)
Cypriot President sends letter to Azeri counterpart for illegal flights. Larnaca, Jul 28 (CNA) - Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said he has sent a letter to his Azerbaijani counterpart regarding direct chartered flights from Azerbaijan to Cyprus Turkish occupied areas. He added that the Cyprus Government has decided on a series of measures and took steps at several international fora and organizations dealing with civil aviation, expressing hope that «we will have positive results''. A 90-member delegation comprising Azerbaijani businessmen, technocrats, journalists and artists arrived Wednesday night at the illegal airport of occupied Tymbou, on an aircraft of ''Imair'' private airlines of Azerbaijan.
Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) has announced an autumn fare sale for destinations in Latin America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Fares start at USD99 one-way, based on a round-trip purchase, for flights from Atlanta to Freeport, Bahamas. Sale tickets must be purchased by 10 August 2005 for travel between 18 August and 12 December 2005. A minimum two-night stay is required. Customers can earn 1,000 bonus SkyMiles for each round-trip ticket purchased at delta.com.
NORTH-EAST travellers will soon be able to fly directly from the region to the Big Apple with the world's largest airline, it has been revealed.
Newcastle International Airport announced yesterday that American Airlines is to operate a new daily scheduled service to New York's John F Kennedy airport from May next year. It will be the first non-stop scheduled link between the two cities.
The service will be operated by American Airlines using Boeing 757 aircraft, offering an all-economy class service with 188 seats.
Speaking at the launch, Newcastle International chief executive John Parkin said: "American Airlines' new service to New York is of great significance, both regionally and internationally.
"The North-East region will now be directly connected with the single most important market in the world.
"We look forward to a long- lasting relationship with this culturally and economically vibrant region."
Craig Kreeger, American Airlines' vice-president Europe and Pacific, said: "The new service will provide a very convenient link for business and leisure travellers whose destination is New York or the many destinations throughout the Americas and the Caribbean that we serve from there."
He said the service would be put on sale in the next few weeks, at which time fares will be announced.
UK Aviation Minister Karen Buck said: "It is excellent news for the economy of the region and for passengers wishing to fly directly between the North-East and the US.
"It also shows clearly how the Government's policy of supporting the development of regional airports is producing results on the ground, with tangible benefits for the regions they serve."
by Gavin Engelbrecht
Passengers can get compensation from Chinese airlines as high as 45,000 yuan (5,549 US dollars) in case they suffer losses due to the delay of their scheduled flights to overseas destinations starting from Sunday, when the international convention on air transportation will take effect in the country.
The move, approved by China's relevant departments, aims to better protect the rights of passengers, industry insiders were quoted by Beijing Daily as saying on Thursday.
The compensation is 100 times the sum compared with before, when passengers usually can get only hundreds of yuan as compensation in this case under concerned rules of the General Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the report said.
CAAC's old rules on international passenger and cargo transportation will be changed and revised, the report said.
In line with the convention, passengers can get maximum 11,000 yuan (1,356 dollars) in compensation if their luggage were lost. Before, their economic losses were compensated based on the weight of their luggage.
In addition, airlines are obligated to pay maximum 1.1 million yuan (135,759 dollars) as compensation in case a passenger died or was injured during the flight no matter whether the carrier is responsible for the accident or not.
But the report did not say how much the airlines pay before under this circumstances.
If new low cost flights between Newquay airport and the Costa del Sol are successful the opportunity could arise for flights to Italy and Portugal. Last Thursday Monarch announced plans to run three flights a weeks between Newquay and Malaga starting in November, but company managing director Tim Jeans, who is also responsible for bringing Ryanair to Newquay, said these are just the beginning.He said: "Cornwall attracts millions of tourists each year, so just as low cost airlines have opened up vast areas of Spain, Italy and France to the Brits, Monarch Scheduled is doing the same in reverse for Spanish tourists and if this is successful could spread to other destination which we operate from like Italy and Portugal."The regional tourism authorities are right behind us and can't wait for the arrival of our Spanish passengers, which is great news for the people of Cornwall who'll have great low fares on their doorstep."The flights to the Costa del Sol could result in as many as 50,000 additional passengers, a huge boost for the airport and the economy.Mr Jeans said: "We estimate these will create an extra 50 to 100 jobs and it is likely Newquay airport will look at employing more operations people, from baggage handlers to staff who refuel the planes."Airport director Graham Jackson said: "We are highly delighted to have secured this service by one of the most respected and long established airlines in the industry. We are also very pleased this service makes the airport truly international."Welcoming the flights, Andrew Mitchell of Cornwall County Council said: "They provide further proof Newquay Cornwall Airport is commercially attractive and has the backing of local businesses and the tourist industry. I am sure links to Malaga will prove popular for inbound and outbound visitors and, I hope, other airlines will follow the example of Monarch and come to Newquay."Newquay's air network is now growing very rapidly indeed and I am sure this growth will help us in our discussions with the Government about the future of the airport."
The flights are on sale at www.flymonarch.com
Lusaka - British Airways is suspending cargo flights to Zambia as of August 9 due to the high cost of fuel, country manager Manatunga Nilanthi said on Thursday.Nilanthi said the cost of fuel in Zambia was significantly higher than other countries in southern Africa."It was becoming difficult and uneconomical to maintain the freight service," Nilanthi said in a statement.She said British Airways was spending over $4 million (R26.5 million) a year in fuel costs in Zambia, which she said was very high compared to other countries.The Export Growers Association of Zambia (ZEGA) said the suspension of the cargo flights by British Airways was likely to affect exports of fresh vegetables to Europe."We used to export about 40 tonnes a week of vegetables and fresh flowers to the European market. The suspension will negatively impact our business," said Luke Mbewe, chairman of ZEGA. - AFP
A strike by union pilots of Asiana Airlines Inc. started to take a heavy toll on the carrier's international passenger flights Wednesdau as the walkout continued for a 12th day.
Asiana canceled 18 international flights on seven routes scheduled from Wednesday through the end of July, the company said in a statement.
Asiana had been determined to not let the strike affect international passerger operations. But a wider disruption to include international flights will be a major setback for the country's second-largest carrier because international passenger operations account for more than 60 per cent of its business, analysts said.
Asiana canceled five flights to Sydney, four to Los Angeles, two each to Japan's Takamatsu and Miyazaki, China's Guilin and Chongqing, and India's Delhi. The flights to those destinations were suspended either because it is a frequently run route or because pilots capable of flying the aircraft used on the routes are unavailable, the carrier said.
"The strike is stretching into the long term and we had to cancel some long and short-distance routes because of the problem with the supply of pilots," said Asiana spokeswoman Kim Su-jung. "Bracing for the possibility the walkout will continue until August, we are now rearranging next month's flight schedule and are scheduled to announce the details this weekend."
All of the airline's cargo services will remain grounded until the strike ends and about 300 flights to the southern resort island of Jeju will also be canceled through to Aug 7, the company said.
Since the pilots' union walked off the job on July 17 demanding better working conditions and participation in management decisions, Asiana has dropped more than half of its domestic flights and all of its four cargo flights per day, but has maintained service on its international routes using non-union and foreign pilots.
"Economic damage will snowball as the strike now has begun affecting international flights," said aviation analyst Ko Min-je at Hanwha Securities Co. "International flight operations are the most profitable business for Asiana and the carrier generates nearly 50 per cent of its revenue in July and August, the highest season of the year."
Asiana has so far lost an estimated 33 billion won (US$33 million) in sales from the strike and forecasts it loses an additional 3 billion won (US$3 million) in sales every day. This translates to a net loss of 600 million (US$600,000) to 700 million won (US$700,000) per day, according to Korea Investment & Securities Co.
With negotiations between labor and management suspended since Friday, Asiana Vice President Joo Jae-hong traveled Wednesday to Mount Songni in North Chungcheong Province where about 400 striking pilots were assembled to persuade them to return to work.
The government has said it will intervene in the strike if it feels the walkout is inflicting "excessive" damage on the public and the national economy.
The strike has threatened exports this month, blocking overseas shipments of time-sensitive goods such as semiconductors.
Asiana has a 21.4 per cent share of Korea's air cargo market, while its bigger rival, Korean Air Co., controls 50 per cent and foreign carriers 28.5 per cent.
Air freight amounted to $83.2 billion in 2004, accounting for about 33 per cent of export deliveries. High-value items such as semiconductors, mobile phones, liquid crystal displays and computers make up the bulk of air cargo.
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy estimates that Korea may see only single-digit growth for exports in July - following double-digit growth in the previous two months - as they are bogged down by the strike. The nation ships nearly 40 per cent of exports during the last 10 days of each month.
Last week, Asiana reported a net loss of 8.6 billion won ($8.6 million) in the second quarter due to high fuel costs.
The operating loss was 1.2 billion won (US$1.2 million). Sales rose 3.5 per cent from the previous quarter to 751.3 billion won (US$750 million) for the April-June period, the company said in a regulatory filing.
For the first half of the year, Asiana's net profit plunged 78.2 per cent from a year ago to 23.4 billion won (US$23 million) despite a 6.8 per cent increase in sales to 1.48 trillion won (US$1.48 billion).
In April, Asiana said its sales should rise to 3.18 trillion won (US$3 billion) in 2005 from last year's 2.99 trillion won (US$2.99 billion) on the back of rising demand for air travel. It targets an operating profit of 175.2 billion won (US$175 million) this year, up 23 per cent from 2004's 142.3 billion won (US$142 million).
By Kim So-young The Korea Herald Publication Date : 2005-07-28
THE announcement yesterday that Newcastle International Airport will have a daily flight direct to New York is "just fantastic", Alnwick Garden marketing and PR manager Rachel Johnston said.
American Airlines is to operate a new daily, scheduled service to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport starting in May next year. This will be the first non-stop scheduled link between the two cities.
The new service will use a Boeing 757 aircraft offering an all-economy class service with 188 seats.
Mrs Johnston said the announcement had “fantastic implications” for the Garden, which was already popular with the American tourists.
“Strategically, we’re working on hitting the States. They love the idea of the Garden,” she said.
Television crews from the US visit Alnwick Garden regularly, the most recent coming from Chicago two weeks ago to film an entire programme featuring the Garden.
Regional development agency One NorthEast has been working with Newcastle International Airport to help bring forward the New York route, making the case for investment and setting out how the North East can be promoted in the US.
Maria Manion, head of regeneration at Alnwick District Council said: “The new route will provide an enormous opportunity, not just for the North East but for the whole of Northumberland to extend their overseas tourist markets.
“The district council will be working closely with One NorthEast to ensure that opportunities are maximised and visitors are fully aware of what the district has to offer.
“Our coastline, National Park, small villages and historic market towns all offer a quintessential English experience which I know our American visitors always enjoy.”
The new route will provide an important new link for air freight to the US from the North East. The flights will provide shippers across the region with specialist cargo services offering guaranteed delivery for high value of time-critical air freight.
Renouned Alnwick fishing tackle manufacturers House of Hardy Ltd is a business which may benefit from the new freighting opportunity.
Iain McGeary, who works in marketing for Hardy’s said the company had a number of international orders and the service could make things easier.
Although the Alnwick store didn’t get a huge amount of US visitors, Hardy products are very popular with US customers.
Mr McGeary said the company could possibly explore more avenues of export in accordance with the announcement.
American Airlines is the world’s largest airline. John Parkin, chief executive of Newcastle International, said: “It is a credit to the North East and a huge coup for Newcastle International to be able to compete for and win this landmark new route with such a major airline.”
A fight over a Texas airport could threaten American Airlines service between Dallas and the Quad-Cities, a congressional official said Wednesday.
Southwest Airlines and its congressional allies are working to overturn a 1979 law that limits traffic out of 88-year-old Love Field in Dallas. American Airlines opposes the move, and it has an ally in U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa. A Harkin spokesperson said the senator got involved because lifting the limits would jeopardize American's flights to smaller markets such as the Quad-Cities, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
"There's a very good probability they'd have to eliminate those flights, or at least one of them," Harkin aide Maureen Knightly said.
Critics of the so-called Wright Amendment say it is anti-competitive and anti-consumer. Named after its author, former House Speaker Jim Wright, a Texas congressman, the law permits air service out of Love Field to Texas and a handful of other states. It was aimed at protecting Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, which opened in 1974, but critics now say that kind of government protection is no longer needed.
However, backers of the amendment say the measure does not limit competition at all, but merely protects the public investments made at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. They add that Southwest can always operate out of Dallas/Fort Worth and say their ability to operate at Love would be severely limited.
Last week, U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., introduced legislation to scuttle the Wright Amendment with the backing of fellow U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.
In response, Harkin and U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., introduced a measure that would ban passenger traffic at Love. "Sen. Harkin wants to protect Iowa flights," Knightly said.
An American spokesman, Tim Wagner, would not speculate on what might happen to Quad-City service if the Wright Amendment is scuttled. But he said the company would be forced to shift some of its flights to Love to compete, which likely would cut its number of flights overall.
"It's like pulling that string on a sweater," he said.
Bruce Carter, the aviation director at the Quad-City airport, backs American's position, but he seemed skeptical that Quad-Cities-to-Dallas service would end.
"If they lift the Wright Amendment, I don't know why American would say they would not run into our places because we have good traffic," he said. He added that occupancy on the flight to Dallas tops 90 percent.
Ed Stewart, a spokesman for Southwest, called American's stand a scare tactic. He said it would not make financial sense for the airline to split its operation. "It's what we call scare tactic 101," he added.
The American flight from the Quad-Cities to Dallas began June 9. A second flight is slated to take off Aug. 1. The second flight was added only two weeks after the first one began because of the immense popularity of the initial one, which almost was booked full when the service began.
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