21 AUGUST 2017
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- COMMENT: Breaking up airberlin
- Airlines out of favour
- Airports deny alcohol slur
- Alaska in growth mode
- BA joins forces with Loganair
- Baltic CS300 fleet grows
- Cabin crew strike grinds on
- Celestine Ginza bows in
- Charter Expo for Biggin
- Delta eyes Europe links
- Embraer at Aviation Club
- Ethiopian B767 revamp
- Georgian builds UK presence
- Iberia’s premium bonus
- MAG's spending spree
- New look for Hong Kong icon
- Orient opens in Jerusalem
- Philippine's UK advance
- Pilot training concerns
- Ryanair rages at airberlin
- Virgin Trains' Liverpool lounge
- ON TOUR: The Magic Circle
- AND FINALLY: About Loganair
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Alaska in growth mode
Nearly 30 new routes are on the cards from Alaska Airlines between now and the end of 2017 as the company kicks off what it is calling the most significant network expansion in its 85-year history.
Cabin crew strike grinds on
Mixed-fleet cabin crew members of the Unite union have began the latest phase of their industrial action against British Airways.
New look for Hong Kong icon
One of the Far East’s best-known hotels has given notice it is to close for more than a year from early 2019 for what is described as a “spectacular” transformation including a redesign of its façade with a contemporary new look.
COMMENT: Breaking up airberlin
As if being seen to be going into administration isn’t bad enough, airberlin now finds itself in an unedifying war of words with Ryanair on one hand and, on the other, a wealthy entrepreneur, Hans Woehrl, who wants to buy the company to avoid “Lufthansa having a monopoly in Germany”.
Airlines out of favour
High-profile incidents in the aviation industry such as the British Airways IT meltdown earlier this year and the treatment of a passenger on board United Airlines have caused a steep decline in the way carriers are regarded, according to a study.
BA joins forces with Loganair
Passengers from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland will be able to book directly on to British Airways’ global network at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport from 1 September after the airline signed a new codeshare deal with Loganair.
Celestine Ginza bows in
Japan’s Mitsui Fudosan Hotels and Resorts opens its latest property, the Celestine Ginza, on 5 October in the heart of one of Tokyo’s trendiest districts, with 104 rooms including a premium floor of ‘Superior’ doubles and twins.
Delta eyes Europe links
Competition for post-Brexit business in Europe takes another major step next year when Delta Air Lines links Florida to the Netherlands and dozens of onward connections with a new service between Orlando and Amsterdam from 30 March 2018.
Embraer at Aviation Club
Booking is now open for the last lunch of the Aviation Club’s summer season on Thursday 14 September at the Institute of Directors in London, when the guest of honour will be Embraer Commercial Aircraft president and CEO John Slattery.
Iberia’s premium bonus
Launched only four months ago, (BTN 24 April), Iberia’s new Premium Economy class is being extended to flights between Madrid and Boston this month. It is already available between Madrid and Chicago, New York, Miami, Mexico City and Bogota.
Orient opens in Jerusalem
Israel’s newest luxury hotel has begun welcoming guests in the heart of Jerusalem’s German Colony on an historic site once inhabited by the German Templar Society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Pilot training concerns
Training costs of up to £100,000 are putting off would-be pilots, leading to a two-tier system and contributing to the industry shortage of personnel, according to the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA).
Ryanair rages at airberlin
EU competition laws and state aid rules in Europe were called into question by Ryanair last week as it lodged a formal complaint accusing the German government, Lufthansa and airberlin of a “manufactured insolvency” surrounding airberlin.
ON TOUR: The Magic Circle
In an extract from the new Lonely Planet book Epic Drives of the World, Oliver Berry discovers haunting lava fields, wild coastline, powerful waterfalls and majestic ice caps on an elemental journey around Iceland’s Ring Road. The trip starts and ends in Reykjavík and covers 830mi (1336km)
AND FINALLY: About Loganair
Loganair will fly the flag for Scotland from next week, adding a new chapter to its history. Here are a few things you may not have known about it.
Airports deny alcohol slur
The sale of alcohol at airports was defended last week after a BBC Panorama investigation reported the number of air passengers arrested for drunken misbehaviour on flights and before boarding had risen by 50% in the past year.
Baltic CS300 fleet grows
A seventh Bombardier CS300 has been welcomed to the fleet of the Latvian flag carrier airBaltic, the latest of a total order of 20 aircraft placed by the company, which says it expects to operate eight CS300s by the end of the year.
Charter Expo for Biggin
The latest in business aviation is in the air at Biggin Hill Airport with preparations under way for the 2017 Air Charter Expo on 12 September.
Ethiopian B767 revamp
Refurbishment work on the first of the Boeing B767-300 ER fleet deployed by Ethiopian Airlines on its routes to India, the Middle East and Africa has been completed.
Georgian builds UK presence
APG UK, the London-based office of the APG Network, the world's largest airline representation company, has been appointed GSA for the privately-owned flag carrier of Georgia, Georgian Airways.
MAG's spending spree
More details of developments at the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) have been released in the wake of continued growth in passengers and cargo and following the management reshuffle (BTN 14 August).
Philippine's UK advance
More capacity on the Heathrow – Manila route is on the way with Philippine Airlines replacing its 254-seat Airbus A340 with a bigger Boeing B777-300ER with 42 Business Class seats and 328 in Economy from next month.
Virgin Trains' Liverpool lounge
As part of the renovation of Liverpool Lime Street station, Virgin Trains has opened a temporary First Class lounge and customer information point before a permanent facility opens this autumn.