30 OCTOBER 2017
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- ON THE SOAPBOX: Karen Dee, Airport Operators Association
- COMMENT: Time to act on Heathrow
- AdWords dispute settled
- Africa's first B787-9
- Air China's tech link
- Boeing in new SIA deal
- Bordeaux base for easyJet
- Busy winter for Finnair
- Cathay Changi upgrade
- De Juniac at Aviation Club
- Flybe names new CCO
- Loganair Tees Valley debut
- Meliá opens at Iguazu
- NATS hails system success
- New Radisson Blu for Ethiopia
- Now Primera adds Toronto
- Royal Flight update
- Southend goes transatlantic
- United's new record
- Waldorf Astoria for London
- Woman pilots on the march
- £4m investment at Cardiff
- ON TOUR: Johannesburg
- AND FINALLY: Gym won’t fix it
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AdWords dispute settled
A legal tussle between Ryanair, Google and eDreams which had been ongoing since 2015 has been settled. Ryanair had instituted proceedings in the Irish High Court against the other two parties over eDreams’ online ads on Google’s AdWords platform.
Boeing in new SIA deal
A $13.8bn deal for 20 Boeing B777-9s and 19 B787-10s was formally announced by the manufacturer and Singapore Airlines last week.
Cathay Changi upgrade
Passengers are being promised “an innovative and seamless travel experience” in addition to a spacious new lounge when Cathay Pacific moves to the new Terminal 4 at Singapore’s Changi Airport when it opens tomorrow (Tuesday).
Woman pilots on the march
International aviation training organisation Airways Aviation is celebrating a record level of applications for its female pilot training scholarship.
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ON THE SOAPBOX: Karen Dee, Airport Operators Association
The AOA's annual conference starts today in London. Here, the organisation's chief executive, Karen Dee, gives the background to what promises to be a lively and informative two days.
COMMENT: Time to act on Heathrow
As with Brexit, so with Heathrow. That body of the population in the “Just get on with it” corner must have despaired last week as the government announced yet another delay in making a decision, this time over Heathrow expansion. Of course, it wasn’t put quite like that; we are in the realm of minister-speak, after all. But the upshot is the “consultation period” over the subject has been extended.
Africa's first B787-9
Africa’s first Boeing B787-9 entered the fleet at Ethiopian Airlines, the continent’s largest aviation group, on Friday, the second of the Dreamliner family to join after Ethiopian in 2012 became the first outside Japan to receive and operate the B787-8.
Bordeaux base for easyJet
A new base at Bordeaux is to be opened by easyJet for next summer, following a similar move at Palma de Mallorca last March. Like Palma, Bordeaux will have three aircraft, Airbus A320s, stationed there.
De Juniac at Aviation Club
Post-Brexit developments and other major challenges confronting the UK will come under the microscope at the Aviation Club monthly lunch on Wednesday week, 8 November, when IATA director-general Alexandre de Juniac addresses the audience.
Meliá opens at Iguazu
Spanish hospitality group Meliá Hotels International has opened the Meliá Iguazu, the only hotel located in the heart of Iguazu National Park in Argentina, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Now Primera adds Toronto
Year-round direct flights between Stansted and Toronto are being launched by Scandinavian carrier Primera Air next June. There will be three flights a week, adding to Primera’s new daily services to New York Newark from April and four flights a week to Boston from May (BTN 24 July).
Royal Flight update
The Royal Flight, now part of RAF 32 Squadron, dates from the time of Edward Prince of Wales, a keen flyer, and as king the founder of the world’s first Royal Flight. At present, it consists of two BAe 146-100s, dating from 1986, with up to 26 seats, and a pair of 146-200s, acquired and converted to tactical freight and personnel transport use in 2012, subsequently seeing service in Afghanistan.
United's new record
Claiming a new distance record, United Airlines yesterday, Sunday, launched daily nonstop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles, a 14,000km (8,700mi) journey the carrier says is currently the world's longest nonstop flight to or from the US.
£4m investment at Cardiff
Plans for further improvements to the terminal and car park facilities at Cardiff Airport were unveiled last week in a £4m investment that officials say will see projects completed in time for next summer.
ON TOUR: Johannesburg
In spite of being something of a world traveller, Johannesburg (JNB) and South Africa (my first visit was last year to Cape Town) has passed me by, writes BTN editor-in-chief Malcolm Ginsberg. And now it has happened. On the way to and from that dot in the ocean that is St Helena – two days on the ground outbound from the UK and one on the way back. It's a start.
AND FINALLY: Gym won’t fix it
News that Europe’s first airport terminal gym has opened at Tallin prompts BTN to ask whether airports really need such embellishments.
Air China's tech link
A new route that connects southern California's Silicon Beach to China's own Silicon Valley is being launched by Star Alliance member Air China on 7 December to complement its three daily flights between Los Angeles and Beijing.
Busy winter for Finnair
New routes to Goa on 1 November, Puerto Vallarta on 5 November, Puerto Plata on 30 November and Havana on 1 December are being opened by Finnair for the winter as the airline enters the largest expansion in its 94-year history. Building on its fast-connecting hub at Helsinki, the company will be operating to 20 intercontinental destinations.
Flybe names new CCO
Aviation veteran Roy Kinnear is leaving his job as CEO at Air Seychelles to become the new chief commercial officer for Flybe. He will join the company in April, reporting to CEO Christine Ourmières-Widener.
Loganair Tees Valley debut
New services which will see up to three weekday non-stop Loganair flights to and from Aberdeen as well as a non-stop flight on six days a week to and from Norwich have taken off at Durham Tees Valley Airport.
NATS hails system success
Aircraft flying from Europe into Heathrow are benefiting from more accurate delay information thanks to advanced data available from development by air traffic management organisation NATS called Arrival Manager system, or AMAN.
New Radisson Blu for Ethiopia
Expansion in Africa is continuing for Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which is adding another Radisson Blu hotel in Ethiopia, in the city of Bishoftu. The company opened the first in Addis Ababa in 2011.
Southend goes transatlantic
A programme of connecting flights to North American cities via Dublin was launched at Southend Airport yesterday to destinations served by Aer Lingus including New York, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Miami.
Waldorf Astoria for London
The luxury hotel being built within Admiralty Arch, one of London’s best-known monuments, is to be a Waldorf Astoria. The company has been appointed by Prime Investors Capital to operate the property following a major refurbishment.