4 SEPTEMBER 2017
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- ON THE SOAPBOX: Mark Briffa, CEO at Air Partner
- COMMENT EXTRA: The O'Leary Show
- ANA's domestic drive
- ANZ first global campaign
- ATRs head for Iran
- Caledonian Sleeper's new fleet
- Cathay Pacific for Dublin
- Embraer at Aviation Club
- Flybe and Eastern on song
- G600 on final approach
- Hands free at easyJet
- IHG opens up Dubai
- Liverpool unveils improvements
- Loganair under its own colours
- More Air Canada for Heathrow
- New BA routes for Gatwick
- Now Icelandair pushes US
- Routes shake-up at Qantas
- Search for Kehoe successor
- St Helena tickets on sale
- Ultra dining from Qatar
- VistaJet on the app
- ON TOUR: Southern Norway via NCL Jade
- SEPTEMBER CRUISE NEWS
- AND FINALLY: BCAL on stage
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ANZ first global campaign
A global campaign, the airline’s first, has been launched by Air New Zealand to drive home its brand message that it is “A Better Way to Fly”.
Consumers in North America are first to see it and it will then roll out across Europe and Asia.
Cathay Pacific for Dublin
Ireland will acquire its first direct Asia-Pacific route next year after Cathay Pacific announced plans to operate a year-round service linking Dublin with Hong Kong four times a week from June.
Liverpool unveils improvements
The latest phase of development work aimed at further improving the customer experience for departing passengers at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) has been completed.
ON THE SOAPBOX: Mark Briffa, CEO at Air Partner
Mark Briffa is CEO of Air Partner, a global aviation services group founded in 1961 that provides worldwide solutions to industry, commerce, governments and private individuals. He talks to BTN about overcapacity of wide-body aircraft in the charter sector and new ways Air Partner is dealing with it.
COMMENT EXTRA: The O'Leary Show
Is Michael O’Leary, the master of free press publicity, running scared?
At a media briefing in London last week, he categorically stated that come Spring 2019 there would be no flights between the United Kingdom and the then 27 remaining nations of the European Union. Does he honestly believe that? BTN thinks not. A deal will be done under Brexit. It suits both sides. It’s good stuff for the tabloids on which he thrives. He is not a fan of transport secretary Chris Grayling.
ATRs head for Iran
Two more European turboprops are being delivered to Iran Air next month, bringing the number of new Western aircraft handed over to the country since 2016 to nine, deputy transport minister Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan said on Wednesday.
Embraer at Aviation Club
With his company in its latest report forecasting just one market, China, will need 1,070 regional jets with 70 – 130 seats over the next 20 years, Embraer CEO John Slattery will have an optimistic message when he addresses the Aviation Club on 14 September.
Hands free at easyJet
A 'Hands Free' baggage service allowing passengers to check-in their hand luggage at the bag drop desk has been introduced by easyJet. The bags are tagged as priority and looked after through to the arrival airport.
Loganair under its own colours
Flying under its own colours for the first time in 25 years, Loganair, Scotland’s newly-designated national airline and the only carrier based north of the border, celebrated on Friday as it took to the skies.
New BA routes for Gatwick
Two new transatlantic routes are joining the British Airways schedule at Gatwick next summer, with Toronto taking to the air from 1 May with three flights a week and Las Vegas returning with three flights a week from 27 March.
Now Icelandair pushes US
With connections between the UK and US via Iceland already a hot topic with Wow air expansion (see BTN last week), the country’s main carrier, Icelandair, is upping the stakes with more flights.
Search for Kehoe successor
Details of candidates for the job of chief executive of Birmingham Airport are expected to be announced soon following the surprise departure in July after nine years of Paul Kehoe.
St Helena tickets on sale
Tickets for flights between South Africa and St Helena are set to start “within the next week” with Airlink poised to operate a weekly service linking the island with Johannesburg and Cape Town via a refuelling stopover at Windhoek in Namibia.
ON TOUR: Southern Norway via NCL Jade
I have been to most places you can get to on mainland Europe by sea but the southern part of Norway has always escaped me. It is all fjords. Editor-in-Chief Malcolm Ginsberg reports. See also SEPTEMBER CRUISE NEWS.
SEPTEMBER CRUISE NEWS
Two important pieces of news for September. Firstly, the publication last week of Douglas Ward’s 2018 Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships volume, and the start of a second series of Channel 5’s Cruising with Jane McDonald.
Plus Southern Norway on NCL Jade, with more in ON TOUR.
AND FINALLY: BCAL on stage
The spirit of British Caledonian Airways reigned supreme again, Laurie Price writes, when a full house at the Capitol Theatre in Horsham for a Beach Boys tribute concert were treated to the first ever live performance of the 1980s BCAL advertisement theme Caledonian Girls.
ANA's domestic drive
A new lounge for domestic flights at Sapporo (New Chitose) airport is being opened next week by ANA, Japan’s largest airline, with design by Kengo Kuma, one of the top Japanese architects.
Caledonian Sleeper's new fleet
A “hotel-style” experience is being promised for passengers after the Caledonian Sleeper unveiled details of a new £150m train fleet ahead of its phased introduction from next spring.
Flybe and Eastern on song
UK regional services gained a double bonus on Friday with Eastern Airways and Flybe starting their new alliance and Eastern alone beginning a daily weekday non-stop service between Belfast City Airport (BHD) and Newcastle.
G600 on final approach
The final aircraft in the Gulfstream G600 flight-test programme has flown for the first time. Outfitted with a complete interior, the aircraft is serving as a cabin testbed and is the fifth to join the G600 trials programme since it began last December.
IHG opens up Dubai
Two new properties in Dubai’s Business Bay are on the way from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), including a Crowne Plaza hotel and an InterContinental Residence Suites development.
More Air Canada for Heathrow
An increase in flights to Heathrow to twice daily and new non-stop services to Paris and Zurich are among elements announced by Air Canada for the strategic expansion of its international network from Vancouver next summer.
Routes shake-up at Qantas
An extension of its partnership with Emirates for a further five years while making route and aircraft changes has been announced by Qantas, with the daily flight between Sydney and London transiting through Singapore rather than Emirates’ hub at Dubai.
Ultra dining from Qatar
First and Business Class passengers are being offered a new perk on Qatar Airways with a pre-select dining service on selected flights from Doha to Europe, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. Other routes will follow.
VistaJet on the app
Global aviation supplier VistaJet has launched a digital membership called VistaJet Direct offering priority access to the company’s one-way and empty-leg flights at preferential rates.