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FLIGHTS to key cities in the Middle East, Far East and the Indian subcontinent were increased by Gulf Air yesterday, marking the start of the airline's 2005-2006 winter schedule.
There will be two additional flights per week from Bahrain to Bangalore and Chennai, five more flights per week to Karachi and two daily flights to Mumbai.
Bangkok will be served out of Muscat by an additional four flights per week, along with seven daily flights to Dubai. There will also be flights to Dublin and Johannesburg commencing on December 2.
Gulf Air currently operates daily flights to London, Frankfurt, Paris and Athens, as well as four flights per week to Istanbul and Larnaca.
"This winter's changes, coupled with previous moves, represent the continuous aggressive steps we are taking to increase services for customers," said Gulf Air president and chief executive James Hogan.
A Moroccan plane landed in Beirut Sunday to restore direct airline links between the two countries after 21 years.
The Royal Air Maroc Boeing 737-700 arrived at Rafik Hariri International Airport carrying 60 passengers and returned an hour later to Casablanca with 23 people aboard.
Flights between Morocco and Lebanon stopped in 1984 at the height of Lebanon's 1975-90 Civil War.
'Our coming to Lebanon today reflects our confidence in Lebanon and the tangible progress that has been made on all fronts," Royal Air Maroc Chairman Ahmad Hennawi said.
He added that the new link will "boost tourist, economic, trade and cultural relations" between the two countries.
Royal Air Maroc will operate two flights per week and increase them depending on demand.
AN AVERAGE of 145 domestic airline flights are delayed every day in Australia, latest figures reveal.
Passengers were kept waiting as 4472 domestic flights were late leaving airports in August.
A further 260 flights were also cancelled in the month, according to statistics from the Australian Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics.
The data reveals the tardiest airline in August was Qantas.
The airline reported more than 1450 flights were delayed in the month – almost 15 per cent of all flights.
A further 99 Qantas flights were cancelled in the month, – including 31 flights from Melbourne to Sydney, eight from Brisbane to Sydney and seven from Brisbane to Melbourne.
The August results mean Qantas has regained its title as the tardiest airline from its low-cost franchise Jetstar.
Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti said the performance was "lower than we would have liked".
"Unseasonable weather contributed to the delays," he said.
"This figure is not acceptable and Qantas is committed to improving its performance."
Qantas' main competitor Virgin Blue had more than 91 per cent of flights on time.
Capital city airports were among the tardiest. Only Brisbane had more than 90 per cent of flights leaving on time.
The figures are based on data provided by major airlines – Jetstar, Qantas, QantasLink, Regional Express, Skywest Airlines and Virgin Blue.
Air Malta will operate five intra-European flights during the winter schedule which takes off on October 30.
Launching the schedule at Air Malta's head office yesterday, the chief officer of strategic planning, Dominic Attard, said that besides the 37 scheduled destinations to and from Malta, the airline will operate flights between Amsterdam and Brussels, Berlin and Hamburg, Lyon and Marseille, Munich and Frankfurt as well as the Catania-London direct flight introduced last year.
Other European routes would be introduced by the airline for the summer schedule with flights connecting some Italian cities, he said.
He described operating across European cities as a growth area for Air Malta which had obtained this right following Malta's accession to the EU last year.
He said Air Malta will this season continue with its fleet replacement project. Two Boeing 737-300s will leave Air Malta by the end of the year bringing the number of Boeings operated by the company down to three. "Two brand new Airbus A320 will be joining Air Malta's fleet in January and May 2006. By this time, Air Malta will have 10 new Airbus A320 or A319." Another two new Airbus A320s are expected by March 2007.
The airline would continue operating a consistent schedule with daily flights to major European cities, Mr Attard said, pointing out that Air Malta was still the main carrier offering the widest range of destinations in and out of the country.
The airline was very much associated with its importance for Malta's tourist sector but it was also fulfilling an important role by providing a service to the Maltese.
Air Malta also launched the winter edition of Flyaway Tours - the package holiday product - with a wide choice of accommodation in 22 destinations on the carrier's network.
New products being offered this winter include tickets to English Premier League matches, theatre tickets, mountain and ski packages in Italy, Bulgaria and Turkey, guided coach tours in Sicily, Germany, Morocco and Bulgaria, and trips to theme parks like Gardaland in Italy and Disneyland in Paris.
We wish to inform you that the Company will proceed to a number of direct, chartered flights from Larnaca – New York – Larnaca via Athens for the summer 2006.
It has, therefore, requested (in writing) by Cyprus Airways to examine the possibility of chartering the new Airbus A330.
These flights are expected to affect positively the financial results for 2006.
AUSTRALIAN Airlines will suspend some of its flights to Bali due to decreased passenger demand after the recent terrorist bombings.
Airline chief executive Andrea Staines said its services to Bali from Perth and Melbourne would be suspended from November 10 until the end of January.
"We have taken this decision in line with the decrease in demand for Bali following the bombings on October 1," she said in a statement.
"However, we are confident Australians will return to Bali in increased numbers as they have done in the past."
Three suicide bomb attacks on October 1 killed 23 people, including four Australians, and injured many others at Bali's Jimbaran and Kuta beach areas.
Ms Staines said the airline would continue to operate three services each week between Sydney and Bali.
A twice-weekly service between Darwin and Bali would operate as normal.
Delta supports continued rebuilding across the Gulf Coast with three more flights to New Orleans; Added service to Atlanta builds on recently announced expansion to Washington, D.C., Orlando
NEW ORLEANS - Delta Air Lines is continuing to increase service to the Gulf Coast by adding more flights to the region's economic capital of New Orleans to support businesses and residents as they rebuild in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Beginning Dec. 1, Delta will resume three more...
BRENTFORD and Isleworth MP Ann Keen has been accused of hypocrisy for failing to represent her constituents' interests over the controversial Heathrow night flight issue.
Just hours after the MP spoke at Westminster's Stop Night Flights rally on Monday night, the Liberal Democrats sent a letter to Mrs Keen attacking her for offering no proper support to the movement against the airport's expansion.
Andrew Dakers, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman for Brentford and Isleworth, claimed he was "baffled" by Mrs Keen's support for constituents against increases in night flights after she voted in the House of Commons earlier this month for the secretary of state to have the power to remove the limit on the number of night flights.
Mrs Keen was one of six west London MPs who voted to remove the limits.
The Government was able to introduce its amendment to the aviation bill.
In the letter to the MP, Mr Dakers said: "I was baffled to hear you say at Monday night's rally you want more letters from constituents on the subject of aircraft noise and night flights as you voted against a key amendment (clause two Division 50) to the Civil Aviation Bill on October 10.
"Clearly you ignore our views anyway, and are instead swept along by the short-term interests of an airline industry set on expansion."
Mrs Keen spoke at Monday's rally organised by HACAN ClearSkies in support of campaigners against increases in night flights.
The next day, she said: "I was pleased to be able to speak at the campaign meeting in Westminster against any increases in night flights which has cross-party support.
"I cannot stress enough to the constituents of Brentford and Isleworth the need for them to make their voices heard at this crucial time."
A spokesman for Mrs Keen added although as a member of the Government she voted accordingly, she would continue to lobby ministers and work with Hounslow Council on this issue over the coming weeks and months to highlight the impact of the airport on the community and especially on children's health and education.
But some people at the rally did not accept her explanation that as a Parliamentary Private Secretary she was following the Government's policy.
Nic Ferriday, spokesman for West London Friends of the Earth, said: "The hypocrisy of Ann Keen is simply quite staggering.
"It was great to hear so many MPs saying they support us in our campaign to abolish night flights.
"But she had the temerity to come to the rally and say she supported residents on night flights, while voting in Parliament to allow an increase in the number of flights."
Mr Dakers agreed, adding: "This is a matter of such importance to the people of this constituency she must start prioritising all of the residents' needs."
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Destination of the week: India in autumn
When the airlines' new winter schedules come into effect tomorrow, the range of options to India will be wider than ever - and fares should continue to fall.
British Airways introduces a new non-stop flight from Heathrow to Bangalore. This route faces immediate competition from Air France - the French airline has a new route from Paris Charles de Gaulle, with connections from several UK airports.
BA's links with Mumbai (formerly Bombay) become twice-daily, in anticipation of BMI increasing its flights on the route to daily; and the number of BA flights to Chennai (formerly Madras) trebles to six a week.
The well-regarded privately owned Indian carrier, Jet Airways is launching daily flights from Heathrow to Delhi.
In addition, Hyderabad is a new route for KLM from Amsterdam, with connections from 14 UK airports.
less choice from Birmingham
The new airline schedules are not entirely positive. When the low-cost airline Duo went bust last year, most of its routes from Birmingham ended. But British Airways' CitiExpress short-haul subsidiary picked up the links from Birmingham to Rome and Vienna. Sadly, they have proved unprofitable and will end from tomorrow.
RIVAL budget airlines have entered into a price war to win over holidaymakers travelling from Edinburgh Airport.
Scottish airline FlyGlobespan today announced two new summer destinations from the Capital, and undercut its competitors in the process.
By the end of November, a host of other low-cost airlines are expected to have launched new routes from the city, with a range of Eastern European cities and sun-drenched resorts in the offing.
It means holidaymakers wanting to fly direct from Edinburgh will have more choice next summer.
FlyGlobespan said weekly flights will be available to the popular hotspot of Murcia in Spain from next April, with return trips available for at least £8 less than other airlines.
Leeds-based rival Jet2.com announced the first direct flights to the same Costa Calida resort from Edinburgh earlier this week, at a minimum price of £33 one-way. FlyGlobespan also revealed it will be flying to the clubbers' paradise of Ibiza from Edinburgh twice a week. It will be the first time holidaymakers can fly direct to the island without booking a package from travel agents.
The company today said more announcements on new destinations will be made in the coming weeks, and the airline will increase the number of planes it has based in Edinburgh by 50 per cent.
FlyGlobespan founder and chairman Tom Dalrymple said: "These two new routes are part of what will turn out to be a massive expansion of our services at Edinburgh Airport next year.
"We are going to have new destinations and we are expanding our service on existing routes. We are just finalising slots and timetables for the new routes right now.
"We are keeping our fares low and offering flights to the more popular summer destinations.
"We will have six aircraft based in Edinburgh next year, as opposed to the four we currently have."
FlyGlobespan also announced a more regular service to Faro in Portugal, which will become a daily destination from the end of May.
The firm already flies to London Stansted, Geneva, Nice, Palma and Barcelona - the airline's most popular route.
The fierce competition for budget holidaymakers has taken off in recent years, led by easyJet and Ryanair. Some airlines even offer free travel - all the passenger has to pay is taxes.
Jet2.com is the latest low-cost firm to establish a strong base at Edinburgh, and has promised to provide new routes at its customers' demand.
A company spokesman said: "Jet2.com is delighted to have launched its Edinburgh to Murcia service this week. We offer the most low-cost flights to the Spanish sun with up to five flights per week." Next Monday, the first direct flight from Poland to Edinburgh will arrive in the Scottish capital, again operated by a budget airline.
But airport operator BAA has also been successful in attracting more prestigious names on to its runway, with Delta recently announcing a direct flight to Atlanta in the United States.
Managing director Richard Jeffrey said: "We are absolutely delighted that more direct international flights are available for travellers.
"FlyGlobespan are already very well established at Edinburgh Airport and we look forward to their further expansion."
The city's airport is expanding at a rapid rate, with more than eight million passengers travelling to and from Edinburgh already this year. Last month saw a 12.9 per cent increase in international traffic.
BAA expects the number of flights in and out of the Capital to more than double by 2030 and passenger numbers to treble to 26 million. The company wants to add a second main runway as part of a £1 billion expansion.
Air travel may never be the same again. After valiant attempts to make a congealed sausage in a plastic tray appealing, and years of "Chicken or beef?" echoing down the aisles, British Airways may scrap in-flight meals on short-haul trips.
BA is reviewing its catering after trouble at its supplier, the Heathrow-based Gate Gourmet. The loss-making business, which provides BA with 80,000 meals a day, was hit by a strike this summer that left many BA flights without food.
The airline is considering offering vouchers for free meals at airports or handing food bags to passengers when boarding. But industry insiders believe stopping the popular breakfast service could upset many business travellers.
Low-fare, no-frills flights have boomed. Some US carriers have cut food on short flights, and many UK airlines, including BA, have already changed the sorts of food they offer, opting largely for snacks such as sandwiches and muffins.
The review is thought to concentrate only on flights to nearby cities such as Paris. Longer short-haul trips and long-haul flights are unlikely to be affected.
A BA spokeswoman said: "We listen to our customers' views on the service we offer and what they would like us to provide. We make changes to the catering we offer on a regular basis. But we remain committed to offering all our customers complimentary catering on all our flights."
BA catering has returned to near-normal, although passengers on some short-hauls are still being given food bags or vouchers.
JORDAN's second national carrier, Jordan Aviation (JATE), made Bahrain its second destination in the Gulf for scheduled flights last night.
The low-cost carrier will operate two flights a week between Aqaba and Bahrain.
A high-level team from JATE headed by chief executive Mohammed Al Khashman arrived in Bahrain on the first flight.
They were welcomed at Bahrain International Airport (BIA) by Civil Aviation Affairs (CAA) Assistant Under-Secretary for Aviation Services Ahmed Nemat Ali and other senior CAA officials.
In his welcome address, Mr Ali conveyed the greetings of Transportation Minister Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa to Jordan's aviation authorities.
He thanked Jordan Aviation for choosing Bahrain as their second destination in the Gulf.
"We are confident that the new service will further strengthen the friendly ties between Bahrain and Jordan," said Mr Ali.
JATE, established in 1998 as a charter operator, started scheduled commercial operations in June this year with flights to Dubai and the Egyptian cities of Alexandria, Assiut, Barcelona and Madrid.
It will now operate two flights to Bahrain on Thursdays and Saturdays.
The route will be Aqaba-Dubai-Bahrain-Aqaba on Thursdays and Aqaba- Bahrain-Dubai-Aqaba on Saturdays.
JATE's fleet of eight planes includes the Airbus 310 and Boeing 737.
On the Bahrain sector, it will operate the Boeing 737 as an all-economy flight with a capacity of 148 passengers.
"We are proud to operate to Bahrain from Jordan's tourism and free zone city of Aqaba," said Mr Al Khashman.
"We are grateful to the support we have received from Shaikh Ali and the CAA team.
"The new service will enhance the tourism and investment ties between our two countries."
JATE has become one of the world's leading budget airlines in terms of profit novelty, reputation and operational excellence, Mr Al Khashman claimed.
It aims to market charters and serve the tourism industry in Jordan, the Middle East, Africa and Europe by offering "the best value for money and a safe, reliable operation", he said.
The airline operates charters to Alexandria, Assiut and Sharm El Sheik, all in Egypt; Baghdad, Iraq; Damascus, Syria; Barcelona and Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; Sarajevo, Bosnia; and Varna, Bulgaria.
Ryanair is marking Bristol Airport's 75th anniversary with a special new fare from 75p. Ryanair's Elaine Duff said: "We're delighted that Bristol Airport has reached this marvellous milestone.
"To celebrate, we're offering fares that even 75 years ago would have been a bargain.
"These fares are available for booking not only on our existing Dublin route but also on our new low-cost service to Shannon, which starts this Sunday."
People can book from today until Monday for travel between November 12 and February 9 next year. a>
A leading airport faces a strike over Christmas in a row over the sacking of two security workers, it was warned today.
Amicus announced moves to ballot 200 security, fire and maintenance workers at Birmingham International Airport with a view to a walkout in December.
The union said allegations against the two of unauthorised absence from work, falsification of records and breaches of trust were "without foundation".
Officials claimed covert surveillance techniques were used by management in breach of data protection and human rights laws.
Flights have recommenced at Melbourne Airport in the southern Australian state of Victoria, following an incident where a Thai Airways airbus blew two tyres on landing.
None of the 253 passengers on board flight 981 were injured, but flights in and out of the airport were suspended while the runway was inspected and debris cleared.
Melbourne Airport advises that scheduled flights will have been affected by the earlier temporary suspension of flights.
Montreal — Air Canada Vacations has cancelled all departures to Cancun, Mexico, scheduled for this weekend and Monday.
The airline said Tuesday that it cannot guarantee delivery of all hotel features and facilities in the wake of the destruction caused by hurricane Wilma.
The storm caused severe damage to much of the Yucatan Peninsula's resort area last weekend.
Affected passengers are being told to re-book their packages.
The number of British Airways flights between London Heathrow and India will almost double when the airline's winter schedule begins next Sunday, the company announced on Monday.
BA had announced in April plans to begin increasing flights between Heathrow -- the world's busiest international airport -- and cities across India from October following an agreement signed between the British and Indian governments.
"The massive expansion in our India flights is something that we have wanted to do for a considerable time but were halted by restrictive bilateral agreements between the British and Indian governments," BA's director of planning Robert Boyle said in a statement on Monday.
"Now that these restrictions have been lifted we can build on our 75 years of experience of operating to the subcontinent."
Liberalisation of the aviation market between the two countries has enabled British Airways to increase its number of weekly flights between Heathrow and India to 35 from 19.
The new schedule sees services to Mumbai doubling to two flights daily, a new service to Bangalore operating five times per week and weekly flights to Chennai increasing to six from two.
NEW winter flights from Glasgow to Bulgaria have been withdrawn due to lack of interest weeks before they were due to get off the ground.
Angry holidaymakers who booked ski-ing breaks to the Bulgarian capital of Sofia have been told the First Choice service has been cancelled.
Earlier this year the tour operator announced it was starting a new weekly charter flight to capitalise on the country's booming reputation as a winter sports destination.
A week's accommodation and flights could have cost as little as £400.
But the firm has been forced to pull the new flights before they began because of poor bookings.
Several tour operators have been affected by the cancellation, including Inghams travel, which also operates flights to Sofia from Manchester, Gatwick and Bristol.
A spokeswoman for Inghams said: "All our Glasgow customers have been sent letters offering them the option of flights from Manchester to Sofia."
HOLIDAYMAKERS are to be offered fewer direct charter flights from Inverness Airport next year because of a slump in the package holiday market.
There will be only nine summer charters from Dalcross in 2006 compared with 20 this year and 52 in 2002/03 when more than 10,000 passengers took advantage of the services to destinations including Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey.
The dramatic fall is blamed on the growing trend for people to take advantage of budget airlines to make their own holiday travel arrangements, rather than booking pre-planned package holidays.
A spokesman for Highlands and Islands Airports Limited admitted that the fall in the number of charter flights was disappointing but noted that the rapid growth in scheduled services with the rest of the UK had more than made up for this drop in business.
"A ll UK airports have seen the downturn in charter traffic, " he stated. "This is because of independent booking, where people shop around and book their own flights and accommodation, often over the internet.
"The sudden drop this year is a result of Transun withdrawing most of its programme from Inverness."
He pointed out that charter traffic now makes up only around 1.5 per cent of the more than 500,000 passengers to pass through the airport.
Next year, packages will be available to Majorca through Thomson Holidays in June and July and to Madeira in April and Verona in July with Newmarket Holidays.
Airline industry expert Laurie Price, a director of the Mott MacDonald travel industry consultancy, was not surprised by the downturn.
He confirmed the trend was for people to take advantage of low-cost connections to the country's main airports, which offered a far larger range of cheaper international flights than had ever been available from Inverness in the past.
But he said the economics of the airline industry meant there was little prospect of Inverness being able to sustain its own scheduled connections with the main holiday destinations.
"The low-cost airlines will be interested in linking Inverness with other UK airports but nothing further afield because their business is centred around filling the same seat six or eight times a day, " he explained.
"For that, they have to limit their flights to around two hours and unfortunately Inverness lies beyond that two-hour optimum level for many southern European destinations, so people are going to have to get to another airport for their connections."
No one from Transun was available to comment on the reason for the firm's withdrawal from Inverness.
DENVER - Southwest Airlines will resume service in Denver next year after a 20-year absence, likely triggering lower fares yet posing fresh problems for airlines already struggling with higher fuel prices.
Although Southwest has shunned Denver International Airport for more than a decade because of its high costs, the Dallas-based carrier - in the midst of an expansion - reconsidered because those costs have declined.
It will compete head-to-head against United Airlines as it emerges from bankruptcy and Denver-based Frontier Airlines, which combined have about 75 percent of DIA’s market.
Frontier’s stock dropped 29 percent on the news, closing at $7.68 a share on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Representatives of both United and the low-fare Frontier noted they already face Southwest in other cities and that they will be competitive on ticket prices when Southwest is in Denver.
Southwest will start small with plans to expand as the traffic builds. Details on when it will start, schedules, fares and gates will be released next week.
‘‘We’ve been concerned about the costs at DIA in the past but they have done a remarkable job in getting their costs downs to levels that make sense to Southwest Airlines,’’ Southwest Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said.
Another factor was current ticket prices at DIA, which he called high. ‘‘We’ll have a modest start in Denver early next year and we’ll just have to take it from there,’’ Kelly said during a conference call with the news media.
Airport officials, who have courted Southwest since DIA opened in 1995, said the airline will generate new competition, which will be good for passengers.
Airport spokesman Steve Snyder declined to provide specifics until next week but said the airline likely will be based on Concourse C.
‘‘It’s a solid airline with a great reputation,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s one that people have been asking about since the airport opened.’’
Among the state leaders praising Southwest's return was U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, who said the added choice for air travel will benefit both Colorado residents and the state's tourism industry.
“We welcome Southwest Airlines to Denver with open arms. Tourism is an important part of Colorado’s economy and an additional airline makes it easier for travelers to visit our beautiful state,” Salazar said.
Southwest operated in Denver from 1983 to 1986 but refused to return when DIA opened in 1995 because of costs. At the time, airlines paid an average of $16.85 per passenger in fees associated with landings, gate rent and other lease costs.
That average has dropped to an estimated $14.30 per passenger in 2005 as airport officials have reduced operating expenses, debt has leveled off and passenger traffic has grown, airport finance manager Amy Weston said.
Each airline pays a different per-passenger rate because of the variables involved in its operation. United Airlines’ fee today is about $20 while Frontier pays closer to the $8 to $9 range, Weston said. Southwest would pay about $8 to $9 per passenger.
In addition, non-airline revenue from such services as parking and concessions has increased from $6.88 per passenger in 1995 to $9.29 estimated for 2005, she said.
The development comes as airlines have grappled with rising fuel prices and aggressive competition that has kept rates low.
United, with 56.7 percent of the Denver market, and Frontier, with 17.3 percent, will face challenges with the addition of Southwest, airline analyst Ray Neidl of Calyon Securities said.
‘‘They’re going to affect the pricing structure that Frontier and United are somewhat living with,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a fairly high-fare market. That’s one of the things Southwest looks for.’’
Aviation analyst Mike Boyd of The Boyd Group predicted fares would not drop significantly because he believes they already have been lowered by the competition between United and Frontier.
‘‘There is no guarantee that Southwest won’t get pummeled in Denver,’’ he said.
Frontier spokesman Joe Hodas said he expects the airline to stay competitive. ‘‘We’ve been building this airline for 12 years to compete against anybody, Southwest or otherwise,’’ he said.
United spokesman Jeff Green said the airline is awaiting details about Southwest’s routes and frequencies. ‘‘United will be competitive,’’ he said.
United and Frontier both pointed out differences between their airlines and Southwest, from assigned seating to amenities.
‘‘There’s a lot of competition out there,’’ Green said. ‘‘Denver passengers are going to benefit from Southwest coming in because it’s more competition.’’
Turkish Airlines is the first company based outside the former Soviet Union to start regular flights between to Astana, Kazakh Transport and Communications Ministry press secretary Kairbek Sadvakasov told Interfax.
"Turkish Airlines was the first to respond to the Kazakh offer to start flights from Astana," he said.
A Boeing 737-800 of Turkish Airlines landed in the international airport in Astana early on Thursday morning.
This spring, Kazakh aviation authorities said that all foreign airlines would have to move their flights from Almaty to Astana, which caused criticism from airlines and tourist companies.
Sadvakasov said that Turkish Airlines will also continue making flights to and from Almaty.
A source in Turkish Airlines told Interfax that flights on the new route will be made twice a week.
SN Brussels Airlines will give free flights to customers who will participate in the “Travel the world for free,” promotion by tripling their journeys.
Roger Wamara, the sales manager, said on Wednesday in Kampala that the promotion is part of the company’s Privilege Miles Programme.
The programme allows a passenger upgrade air classes, pay for more trips and do duty-free shopping while flying.
“We are rewarding our customers by giving them free flights to the rest of the world. They will enjoy all the benefits including duty-free shopping, gift sending and paying using their Miles accounts,” Wamara said.
He said the promotion would be conducted with American Airlines, British Airways, Air Portugal, Swiss airlines and FINNAIR.
The promotion is open to many passengers.
Test flights for the new massive Airbus 380 have brought the world’s largest passenger jet to Seville today. The Moron airbase is ideal for take offs and landings of the plane which will carry more than 800 passengers when in service. Noise monitoring equipment has been used in Seville today to measure the take off decibels. The plane is expected to leave the area this evening.
HOLIDAYMAKERS were today assured it was back to business as usual at Air Scotland as hundreds of passengers were due to jet out to Spain.
Exactly one week after travellers were left stranded when flights were delayed for more than 12 hours, the beleaguered firm seemed to be on schedule.
A plane-load of passengers due to jet off from Glasgow to Malaga at 7am today left just half an hour late.
As reported in later editions of last night's Evening Times, Air Scotland's new owner was shocked to discover the airline had debts of more than £2million.
But as accounts were being settled with various airline businesses, the Air Scotland aircraft now being operated solely by Greece Airways was being allowed to fly to its sunshine destinations.
A spokeswoman for company said: "All flights are now running on schedule. Flights which took off last night ran on time."
The Welsh Assembly Government wants daily transatlantic flights from Cardiff International Airport to America. Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies said he had looked at the possibility of flights to the Middle East and regular flights to Brussels.
But he said offering more flights was a commercial decision.
He also raised the possibility of diverting mainline trains from Paddington to the Vale of Glamorgan to improve access to the airport in Rhoose.
"One of the things I have been looking at is getting trains from London Paddington to go from the Vale of Glamorgan line," said Mr Davies.
BAGHDAD, Oct 20 (KUNA) -- Iraq Airways is to resume on Thursday its Baghdad-Cairo route which had been halted for by Egyptian authorities for several weeks for security reasons.
This coincides with the arrival of Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa in Baghdad on board a private airplane, heading an Arab League delegation.
Iraqi Communications Ministry officials said Iraq Airways would be flying a weekly flight on this route.
The departing airplane would be carrying journalists, tourists and officials.
The plane will be welcomed in Cairo by Iraqi Charge d'Affaires Saad Al-Hayyani. (end) mhg.
Air Malta has announced low-priced "unbeatable" winter offers to 16 destinations.
Return fares to Catania and Tunis start from Lm29 and return fares to Amsterdam, Athens, Brussels, Cairo, Casablanca, Istanbul, Lyon, Marseille, Milan, Paris, Rome, Sofia, Vienna and Zurich start from Lm45. All offers are available between November 7 and December 11 and from January 16 to February 28. Reservations can be made until November 16. The fares exclude taxes and charges. A limited number of seats and certain conditions may apply. Flyaway Tours, with a choice of more than 20,000 hotels and Europcar car hire are also available.
Flybe has launched three new ski and sun routes from Exeter
Chambery, Geneva and Murcia on the agenda for Winter 2005.
Flybe, one of Europe’s leading low-cost airlines, today announces the launch of three new routes from its key base, Exeter International Airport to Chambery, Geneva and Murcia as part of its winter schedule 2005. The new routes are available for booking. Additionally, Flybe announces that Faro will operate this winter, for the first time after a successful summer season.
The mix of new ski and winter sun routes for Exeter will start from 31st October 2005, opening up a range of exciting and affordable travel options for the region. The new winter programme sees Flybe continuing to deliver on its promise to provide a first rate, value airline service for the region, bringing the benefits of low cost air travel to the South West.
Flybe has played a vital role in the significant development at Exeter, helping it to become a major regional airport, with today’s announcement bringing the total number of routes operated from Exeter by Flybe to 18. Flybe will offer nearly 900,000 seats over the next year at Exeter, creating great benefits for inbound tourism for the South West business community, and for employment prospects.
INDIA's national carrier will double the number of its flights to Bahrain with the introduction of a low cost service early next year, it was revealed yesterday.
Air India will replace its normal operations to Bahrain with its low-cost carrier Air India Express on April 1, said Air India manager for Bahrain and Jordan M N Naik.
At present the airline operates seven flights a week between India and Bahrain.
"This number will increase to 15 when Air India Express comes into operation," Mr Naik told the GDN.
Air India's Bahrain office yesterday received the schedule for the new service, starting on April 1.
Initially, 15 flights will be operated per week - five to Mumbai, three each to Cochin, Calicut and Delhi, and one to Trivandrum.
The airline currently operates seven flights a week - three each to Mumbai and Calicut, two to Cochin and four to Trivandrum.
New generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft will be used for the new service, said Mr Naik.
The all-economy flight has a capacity to carry 189 passengers.
"The new service will offer fares which will be at least 25 per cent cheaper than the market fare," he added.
"The flight will leave Bahrain in both the morning and evening. People can make their booking online or through their travel agents."
Air India Express, which was officially launched in May this year, now operates from several points in India to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in the UAE, and Muscat, in Oman.
Meanwhile, Air India is to offer flights to Pune, Maharashtra, for passengers from Bahrain via Dubai in December."
Passengers will be taken by Gulf Air to Dubai, from where direct flights will be operated to Pune on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays,"
said Mr Naik.
"Services to Pune via Dubai are offered at no additional cost."
On Air India's performance on the India-Bahrain sector, Mr Naik said a 17 per cent increase in traffic was registered between April last year and March this year, compared to the same period last year.
He attributed the increase to several factors, including Indian passengers' preference to travel on their national carrier.
Mr Naik said the airline's on-time performance in general was 98 pc.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, October 19: SilkAir from November will increase its frequency from Singapore to Thiruvananthapuram to four times weekly with the new service on Friday.
Currently, SilkAir operates three flights and five flights to Kochi. The increase in flight frequency would give customers a better choice.
The days of operation from Singapore to Thiruvananthapuram and Thiruvananthapuram to Singapore are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
SilkAir has introduced a special fare for travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Singapore and return at an incredible price of Rs 7,999 excluding taxes. This fare is valid for travel with immediate effect until November 30.
SilkAir was also voted ‘Best Regional Airline’ for the sixth year in TTG Asia’ Travel Awards 2005 on October 13. The award honours it as the best carrier for operating in Asia-Pacific routes.
Varig Brazilian Airlines has decided to discontinue flights between Narita airport and Rio de Janeiro, routed via Los Angeles, on Jan. 14 as passengers have declined sharply due to tougher U.S. visa requirements, informed sources said Wednesday.
Low-fare Varig flights to Japan, inaugurated in 1968, had been popular among Japanese Brazilians working in Japan.
However, since the United States in 2003 started requiring Brazilians on flights via Los Angeles to obtain visas, Brazilians have shied away from the flights because of the time-consuming, costly procedures to get a visa.
Varig discontinued flights between Brazil and Nagoya last year.
Hit by the decline in the number of passengers and rising jet fuel costs, Varig applied for rehabilitation procedures in June and has been eliminating unprofitable flights.
Air Arabia LLC, airline in the Middle East and North Africa region, has become the first international carrier to fly to Nagpur by connecting the city with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"We have a history of creating destinations and bringing affordable travel to more people across the region and look forward to doing the same in Nagpur," said Air Arabia chairman Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani.
"We look forward to growing trade and tourism links between the United Arab Emirates and Nagpur and providing the opportunity to the people in and around Nagpur to travel to the UAE," he added.
Flights from Nagpur to Sharjah will operate on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, while the services to the Indian city are available on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, added the statement.
Air Arabia also operates flights from Mumbai.
A Sharp decline in holiday charter flights from Inverness Airport was blamed yesterday on changes in the way people book their summer breaks.
The number of chartered flights halved in the past two years.
Holiday companies operated 41 return flights from Inverness airport in 2004/5, but only 20 in 2005/06.
However the total number of passengers using the airport is rising, with 700,000 people predicted to pass through the airport between 2005/06.
Nat Anderson of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL), which operates 10 airports, said that the rise in people using the internet to book the separate parts of their holiday had contributed to the decline of chartered package flights. Overall the number of chartered flights has declined since 2002/03, when the airport handled 9,406 passengers on 52 flights. During 2003/04 there were 39 flights carrying 6,502 people.
Mr Anderson said: "The charter market has always made up a relatively small proportion of Inverness Airport's business and this year's drop in charter passengers is a result of Transun withdrawing most of its programme at Inverness. Thomson and Newmarket Holidays flights have proved very successful this year and both operators have already confirmed destinations and dates for summer 2006.
"In general terms UK airports are seeing a decline in charter markets due to changing travel and holiday patterns with people more likely to book flights and hotels independently of traditional holiday companies.
"The trend at Inverness is for scheduled passenger growth which is driven by successful route development in recent years. The airport is on target to handle twice as many passengers this year compared to the 350,000 it handled in 2000."
The figures came as the airport launched its charter programme for 2006, with flights from the Highland capital to the Mediterranean now on sale.
James Walton, Inverness Airport manager said: " The convenience of travelling from their local airport is clearly winning people over to starting their holidays at Inverness and we expect the 2006 charter programme to be a popular element of the airport's expanding range of services."
Holiday company Thomson is offering 5 holidays to Majorca in June and July, while Newmarket Holidays is operating three to Italy in July.
A NEW daily air service between Edinburgh and Atlanta in the United States has received the official go-ahead.
Delta, the world's second largest airline, will launch the flights on May 5 next year.
Richard Jeffrey, managing director of Edinburgh Airport, described the new service as "a significant vote of confidence in Edinburgh, its international airport and Scotland's travelling public".
He added: "This is an exciting new route for Edinburgh, offering the city - and Scotland as a whole - direct access to one of North America's largest and most important hubs, and affords Scots travellers and our tourism industry an excellent opportunity to promote Scotland abroad."
Transport Minister Tavish Scott said: "This is good news for Scotland. All-year-round air links between Edinburgh and Atlanta will provide better business opportunities between Scotland and the United States."
easyJet, Europe's leading low-cost airline today announced it would significantly expand its services in Italy and introduce a new base at Milan's Malpensa Airport. Malpensa will be the airline's 16th base in Europe and first in Italy.
Three aircraft, brand new Airbus A319's, will be based at the airport offering a choice of five new routes to key European Airports; Athens, London Gatwick, Madrid, Malaga and Paris (Charles De Gaulle). These routes are in addition to the current Berlin service and the daily flight to Dortmund which commences on 30 October.
The first two of these new aircraft will begin operation from Milan Malpensa from 27 March 2006. The third aircraft will be introduced in the summer and will provide the capacity to operate even more routes.
With a total of seven routes available from Milan Malpensa, easyJet expects to carry around 1.2 million passengers through the base in the first 12 months and will create over 100 jobs locally for cabin crew and flight deck, as well as generate around 1000 indirect jobs at the airport.
easyJet currently operates to 9 key Italian airports (Cagliari, Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Naples, Olbia, Pisa, Rome, Turin and Venice), with a choice of 29 routes and 68 daily flights. The airline recognises the great potential for further expansion of it low-cost services, as Italy has been the fastest growing market in easyJet's network in the last 12 months, experiencing an increase in capacity of 78%. This summer the airline welcomed the 6 millionth passenger on its Italian routes and by the end of 2005 expects to have carried a total of 2.5 million passengers to and from Italy.
The two existing routes from Milan Linate to London Gatwick and Paris Orly will also continue, generating a total of over 1.3 million passengers travelling on easyJet's Milan services in the first 12 months of operation. easyJet, has chosen Milan as the next market for significant development in Italy as a result of its great attraction to both business and leisure travellers as a destination, as well as tapping into the wealthy Lombardy region's potential outbound market.
easyJet are committed to continuing with its strategy of being a pan-European airline, not only is the airline the fourth largest scheduled carrier in Europe, but 27% of its network is outside of the UK, with six of its 16 bases being situated on the continent.
Seats are on sale from Saturday 15 October.
Ray Webster, easyJet Chief Executive commented at the press conference in Milan today.
"easyJet believes Italy has excellent opportunities for growth, as air travel is still dominated by inefficient state run airlines, who do not act in the interest of the consumer.
We have been focusing on growth in Italy over the last year, we have increased our capacity by 78% and the response has been fantastic. Our move into Milan's Malpensa Airport demonstrates our commitment to provide low-cost efficient services in Italy.
release date: 03/10/2005
bmi announced today plans to increase its services from Heathrow to Mumbai, India to a daily service and to introduce a three-times-weekly Heathrow-Jeddah service, following the successful launch of its Heathrow-Riyadh service last month.
bmi launched a three-times-weekly service between Heathrow and Riyadh on 1 September 2005 and has seen strong bookings in both standard and premium classes. It launched four-times-weekly Heathrow-Mumbai services in May of this year.
At a press conference in Riyadh, marking the launch of the Riyadh services, bmi chief executive Nigel Turner said:
“We have been delighted with the welcome we have received in Saudi Arabia, not just from the authorities but from the market. It is clear there is a real appetite for service from a British carrier on this route.
“If booking patterns continue in line with our early experience, we will look to expand our services into the Kingdom in 2006, with a three-times-weekly service from Heathrow to Jeddah.
“At the same time, we expect to increase our Mumbai services to daily. Despite strong competition between the UK and India, as a result of deregulation, we have experienced positive results to date and expect to strengthen our relationship with India further in the future.”
Earlier, Nigel Turner had confirmed bmi’s plans for future expansion of its long-haul network, which now includes destinations in the US and the Caribbean (from Manchester) and Mumbai and Riyadh (from London Heathrow).
He said:
“The long-haul arena is a key strategic imperative for bmi. We hope to expand our services to Saudi Arabia and to India in 2006. In addition, we continue to press for the introduction of open skies between the UK and the US, allowing us to fly from Heathrow to the States.”
bmi launched services from London Heathrow to Riyadh on 1 September 2005, with a three-times-weekly service. Fares start at only £545 return or 2350 SAR return, inclusive of taxes and charges.
It is bmi’s second long-haul route from Heathrow, where it is the second largest operator, accounting for one in six of all flights, adding to its Heathrow-Mumbai service which launched earlier in the year.
All flights offer a three-class service and are operated on an Airbus A330 aircraft. Business class passengers will be able to experience top quality food prepared by bmi’s in-flight chef, whilst passengers in all three classes will enjoy bmi's renowned in-flight service and entertainment.
THE Welsh Assembly wants daily transatlantic flights from Cardiff International Airport to America.
THE Welsh Assembly wants daily transatlantic flights from Cardiff International Airport to America.
But he said offering more flights was a " commercial decision".
He also raised the possibility of diverting main-line trains from Paddington to the Vale of Gla-morgan to improve access to the airport in Rhoose, 10 miles west of Cardiff.
Allegiant Air of Las Vegas will announce today that it will start service to Orlando, Fla., from MidAmerica Airport, filling a void created when another airline went bankrupt late last month and abruptly stopped its Orlando flights.
Tyri Squyres, a spokeswoman for the airline, said it would start conservatively with two flights each week and build from there. The airline will offer an introductory one-way fair of $59. She said the days and flight times would be announced today.
Allegiant started flying passengers from MidAmerica to Las Vegas in April and has found success with those flights, she said.
MidAmerica, situated near Mascoutah and Scott Air Force Base, had service to Orlando's Sanford International Airport until late last month, when the airport's other carrier, TransMeridian Airlines, abruptly shut down service and filed for bankruptcy.
MidAmerica Executive Director Tim Cantwell said the airline's flights to Florida were 70 to 90 percent full so he was shocked by the shutdown. He said Tuesday that TransMeridian "offered cheap flights and, when fuel prices shot up, were in a situation where they were going to lose money if they made the flights."
Squyres was quick to differentiate Allegiant, which offers scheduled passenger service similar to that of larger airlines, from the bankrupt TransMeridian, which was a scheduled charter service. A charter service does not get paid until its flights take off.
Cantwell said the fact that another airline was picking up flights to Florida just 19 days after TransMeridian shut down showed the routes were reliable.
Allegiant Air was founded in 1997. The company operates a fleet of 12 aircraft, according to its Web site, www.allegiantair.com. Allegiant is a ticketless airline and already operates flights to Las Vegas and Orlando from Peoria and Rockford, Ill., and Springfield, Mo.
BUDGET airline flyglobespan is launching a new daily service from Glasgow to Amsterdam after its rival easyJet ditched its service.
The Scots firm today stepped into the gap left by its competitor and pledged to offer flights to the Dutch city from just £25.99 including charges.
The new route will start in February and flights are available from noon today on the airline's website.
Glasgow Airport received another boost yesterday when the Evening Times revealed Pakistan International Airlines was to launch direct flights to Lahore and Islamabad.
Flyglobespan currently operates daily Glasgow services to Palma, Malaga, Alicante, Faro, Tenerife, Barcelona, Prague and London Stansted.
The new Amsterdam route comes after aviation sources confirmed easyJet would ditch its Amsterdam flights later this month after five years.
The airline is expected to replace it with at least one new alternative destination from Glasgow.
Flyglobespan chairman Tom Dalrymple has promised further expansion next year.
He said: "I am delighted we are able to offer another daily route from Glasgow.
"Amsterdam is one of Europe's most popular destinations and it makes sense for us to be flying there.
"The Glasgow area has proved it can sustain daily flights to other cities we fly to, such as Prague and Barcelona, and I am confident this will work well for everyone.
"There is also a huge benefit to the local economy. As well as taking Scots abroad we bring an enormous number of foreign visitors and businessmen into Glasgow - those figures will now also grow."
Flyglobespan launched in April 2002 and is one of Britain's fastest growing airlines. It also runs schedules from Edinburgh and Stansted.
This year it expects to fly almost 1.5million passengers - a 50% increase from last year - and in 2006 the figure is predicted to rise to more than two million.
Glasgow Airport's managing director Stephen Baxter said: "This is yet more exciting news from flyglobespan which is an increasingly important player for Scotland and its airports."
BUDGET airline flyglobespan is launching a new daily service from Glasgow to Amsterdam after its rival easyJet ditched its service.
The Scots firm today stepped into the gap left by its competitor and pledged to offer flights to the Dutch city from just £25.99 including charges.
The new route will start in February and flights are available from noon today on the airline's website.
Glasgow Airport received another boost yesterday when the Evening Times revealed Pakistan International Airlines was to launch direct flights to Lahore and Islamabad.
Flyglobespan launched in April 2002 and is one of Britain's fastest growing airlines. It also runs schedules from Edinburgh and Stansted.
This year it expects to fly almost 1.5million passengers - a 50% increase from last year - and in 2006 the figure is predicted to rise to more than two million.
Glasgow Airport's managing director Stephen Baxter said: "This is yet more exciting news from flyglobespan which is an increasingly important player for Scotland and its airports."
Startup Ghana International Airlines plans to launch its first service from Accra to London on Oct. 29 and unveiled plans to start code-share flights with Ethiopian Airlines.
The Ghanaian goveranment and a U.S. investment group joined forces last year to start the new national airline for Ghana (DAILY, Dec. 21, 2004). At the time, the plan was for the new company to be owned 70% by the Republic of Ghana and 30% by a U.S. entity, GIA-USA, LLC, formed specifically for the airline venture. The U.S. group will act as sole management for the new airline. SkyWest founder and World Transport Group CEO Jerry Atkin will head GIAL's board.
The carrier was formed after Ghana Airways lost its operating authority in the U.S. last summer (DAILY, July 30, 2004). The new carrier was looking to start flights on many of the same routes as Ghana Airways, but it has not revealed plans beyond the London route. The carrier last week said it will use the Radixx International reservations system.
ROME (AP) - Italian state airline Alitalia scrapped 102 flights and other carriers operating in Italy were expected to make cancellations ahead of a four-hour strike Wednesday by air traffic controllers.
Controllers are set to walk off their jobs at noon Wednesday, forcing the carrier to scrap 62 domestic and 40 international flights, Alitalia said.
A complete list of cancellations was not yet available, ENAC, Italy's civil aviation authority, said Tuesday.
Air-traffic controller unions called the strike to campaign for improved training, said Stefano Francucci of the ATM union. They also contend that control towers throughout Italy are understaffed and controllers are forced to work too many extra shifts.
ALL Air Scotland flights were in chaos yesterday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded three days after a dispute over its failure to pay for fuel was resolved.
BAA, the airports' operator, said there were delays of at least 12 hours for all flights connected with Air Scotland while some passengers told of their anger at the company's failure to explain what was happening.
Flights yesterday from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Athens, Paris, Malaga and Alicante were all affected.
The fiasco began when two planes were grounded on Thursday and Friday last week in a row over unpaid fuel bills.
The hold-up was caused by confusion over who was responsible for paying for the fuel. BAA eventually allowed the aircraft to fly as a gesture of good faith before the company finally paid the six-figure sum.
The Civil Aviation Authority, the airline regulator, revealed yesterday that it was powerless to become involved in the financial dispute because Air Scotland's parent company is based in Greece.
The cash crisis at the airline started on Thursday when the Iraqi-born founder of Air Scotland and sole shareholder of the parent company, Greece Airways, Dhia Al-Ani from Bearsden, sold his 44,000 shares in the airline to the Barcelona-based H Top Hotels Group.
While the airline was launched in a blaze of tartan and Mr Al-Ani talked of creating 300 jobs and millions of pounds for the Scots economy, it emerged that Air Scotland is effectively the sales and administration wing of the Greek airline.
At Spain's Palma airport on Saturday, armed police had to be called to calm a crowd of furious Scots after Air Scotland's Glasgow-bound plane was affected by a 17-hour delay.
Yesterday at 2.21pm after a delay of 14 hours, passengers finally left Glasgow airport on a flight to Malaga. The flight which was due to leave at 10.20pm on Sunday, had been rescheduled for noon yesterday.
Consequently, a further 200 passengers were stranded in Malaga waiting for the flight back to Glasgow which was due in at 5.40am yesterday. It still had no scheduled time of arrival 12 hours later.
Barry McFadyen, a 24-year-old administrative officer from Stirling, who was due to fly out to meet friends in Malaga, attempted to sleep on a Glasgow airport bench after trying in vain to obtain news of the flight's departure.
He said: "The situation here was worse than shambolic. Nobody seems to answer the phones at Air Scotland and I have spent a very uncomfortable night. Suffice to say I never slept and it is fair to say this is the last time I will fly with them."
A spokeswoman for BAA, which runs Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, said it had had to field many calls regarding the flight problems because people had had great difficulty in contacting Air Scotland, which she said had settled all its fuel bills.
She added: "We've been bending over backwards to help out the passengers of Air Scotland which is not our obligation at all.
"We have provided them with food, drink and blankets. The delays are so bad that it's hard to keep track. These delays are not caused by BAA or any operational problem."
No-one at Air Scotland or Greece Airways would comment on why the delays were continuing. A spokeswoman for Air Scotland would only say: "We apologise unreservedly to all passengers."
ALL Air Scotland flights were in chaos yesterday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded three days after a dispute over its failure to pay for fuel was resolved.
BAA, the airports' operator, said there were delays of at least 12 hours for all flights connected with Air Scotland while some passengers told of their anger at the company's failure to explain what was happening.
Flights yesterday from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Athens, Paris, Malaga and Alicante were all affected.
The fiasco began when two planes were grounded on Thursday and Friday last week in a row over unpaid fuel bills.
The hold-up was caused by confusion over who was responsible for paying for the fuel. BAA eventually allowed the aircraft to fly as a gesture of good faith before the company finally paid the six-figure sum.
The Civil Aviation Authority, the airline regulator, revealed yesterday that it was powerless to become involved in the financial dispute because Air Scotland's parent company is based in Greece.
The cash crisis at the airline started on Thursday when the Iraqi-born founder of Air Scotland and sole shareholder of the parent company, Greece Airways, Dhia Al-Ani from Bearsden, sold his 44,000 shares in the airline to the Barcelona-based H Top Hotels Group.
While the airline was launched in a blaze of tartan and Mr Al-Ani talked of creating 300 jobs and millions of pounds for the Scots economy, it emerged that Air Scotland is effectively the sales and administration wing of the Greek airline.
At Spain's Palma airport on Saturday, armed police had to be called to calm a crowd of furious Scots after Air Scotland's Glasgow-bound plane was affected by a 17-hour delay.
Yesterday at 2.21pm after a delay of 14 hours, passengers finally left Glasgow airport on a flight to Malaga. The flight which was due to leave at 10.20pm on Sunday, had been rescheduled for noon yesterday.
Consequently, a further 200 passengers were stranded in Malaga waiting for the flight back to Glasgow which was due in at 5.40am yesterday. It still had no scheduled time of arrival 12 hours later.
Barry McFadyen, a 24-year-old administrative officer from Stirling, who was due to fly out to meet friends in Malaga, attempted to sleep on a Glasgow airport bench after trying in vain to obtain news of the flight's departure.
He said: "The situation here was worse than shambolic. Nobody seems to answer the phones at Air Scotland and I have spent a very uncomfortable night. Suffice to say I never slept and it is fair to say this is the last time I will fly with them."
A spokeswoman for BAA, which runs Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, said it had had to field many calls regarding the flight problems because people had had great difficulty in contacting Air Scotland, which she said had settled all its fuel bills.
She added: "We've been bending over backwards to help out the passengers of Air Scotland which is not our obligation at all.
"We have provided them with food, drink and blankets. The delays are so bad that it's hard to keep track. These delays are not caused by BAA or any operational problem."
No-one at Air Scotland or Greece Airways would comment on why the delays were continuing. A spokeswoman for Air Scotland would only say: "We apologise unreservedly to all passengers."
ALL Air Scotland flights were in chaos yesterday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded three days after a dispute over its failure to pay for fuel was resolved.
BAA, the airports' operator, said there were delays of at least 12 hours for all flights connected with Air Scotland while some passengers told of their anger at the company's failure to explain what was happening.
Flights yesterday from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Athens, Paris, Malaga and Alicante were all affected.
The fiasco began when two planes were grounded on Thursday and Friday last week in a row over unpaid fuel bills.
The hold-up was caused by confusion over who was responsible for paying for the fuel. BAA eventually allowed the aircraft to fly as a gesture of good faith before the company finally paid the six-figure sum.
The Civil Aviation Authority, the airline regulator, revealed yesterday that it was powerless to become involved in the financial dispute because Air Scotland's parent company is based in Greece.
The cash crisis at the airline started on Thursday when the Iraqi-born founder of Air Scotland and sole shareholder of the parent company, Greece Airways, Dhia Al-Ani from Bearsden, sold his 44,000 shares in the airline to the Barcelona-based H Top Hotels Group.
While the airline was launched in a blaze of tartan and Mr Al-Ani talked of creating 300 jobs and millions of pounds for the Scots economy, it emerged that Air Scotland is effectively the sales and administration wing of the Greek airline.
DETROIT Delta Air Lines plans to announce a new wave of international flights on Tuesday that the troubled carrier said would make it the biggest airline flying across the Atlantic.
Once trans-Atlantic service to and from cities like Edinburgh, Budapest and Venice begins next year, Delta said, it will surpass competitors like American Airlines, British Airways and Continental Airlines.
Delta's new international flights are the latest sign of a growing revival of international service by U.S. carriers, who significantly cut back their overseas routes after the September 2001 attacks in New York and Washington.
Over all, major U.S. airlines are offering 167 international routes this year, the most since they served 175 overseas routes in 2000, according to an estimate by Back Aviation Solutions, an industry consulting firm.
Profits are up 5.8 percent on trans-Atlantic routes this year. By contrast, airlines have seen their profits drop 0.8 percent on domestic routes, according to Back Aviation. That is one reason all of the major U.S. airlines that serve international routes have said they plan to add more flights overseas.
"International markets have had far better pricing power than domestic markets," said Michael Allen, Back Aviation's chief operating officer.
Delta said it would serve 11 new markets by next summer from two airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, where Delta is based. Most of the services will begin in time for summer, said Glen Hauenstein, a Delta executive vice president.
Delta's announcement comes just over a month after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The airline has already begun cutting back on some of its domestic services and is shifting other flights to regional carriers like Comair and SkyWest so it can focus on more international flights.
In May, Delta plans to add flights from New York to Manchester, Budapest, and Dublin and Shannon, Ireland. In June, it plans to add service from New York to Kiev, contingent on government approval. Flights from Atlanta to Edinburgh, Nice, Venice and Athens will start in May.
Delta had previously announced other new routes from Atlanta, including flights to Tel Aviv, which begin in March, Düsseldorf starting in April, and Copenhagen starting in May.
It will also add another summer-only flight from Atlanta to Shannon, and it will add extra service from New York to Rome.
Allen of Back Aviation said that by announcing the flights far in advance, Delta can begin collecting ticket revenue now, giving it more cash to get through the early months of bankruptcy. The new service also gives passengers an i | |
