14 OCTOBER 2013

Index


© 2022 Business Travel News Ltd.

Article from BTNews 14 OCTOBER 2013

ON TOUR: World Routes – Las Vegas

By the time you have read this article some 3,000 aviation types would have returned home from Las Vegas from all over the world.  Utterly exhausted.  Add some vastly different time zones, 7,000 official meetings, numerous networking opportunities, an exhibition, plus one of the great entertainment centres of the globe, and you know the score.  There were announcements galore.  http://content.routesonline.com

In total some 300 airlines were represented and 133 exhibitors. 1200 airport delegates attended representing 750 airports from around the world

Tourism Australia was announced as the overall winner of the World Routes Awards 2013 which took place in the Garden of the Gods at Caesars Palace, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment.  This is the first time that a tourism authority has taken the top spot in the World Routes Awards and speaking just after receiving the highly regarded accolade Andrew McAvoy, Managing Director of Tourism Australia, said: "It means a lot to be overall winner in the World Routes Awards 2013.  I think it is one of the great partnerships we have in the world, which is our aviation partnerships; our state and territory partnerships and our airport partnerships.  So it means a lot to Team Australia.  Tourism has gone up to accept the award but quite genuinely it's an award that Australia has achieved together".

Changi Airport Group (Singapore) was named as the winner from the Over 50m Passengers category whilst Copenhagen Airport was honoured from the 20m-50m group.  From the 4m-20m category San Diego International Airport took the top spot with Darwin International Airport winning the Under 4m class.

Created in 1997 to recognise excellence in airport marketing as rewarded by airlines, the annual Routes awards provide the airline community with the chance to have their say as to which airport they think provides the best overall marketing services to them.

Typical of the efforts being put in by the world’s airports was that of Orlando, deep in Florida, and the home of a mighty leisure complex.  The airport has set its sights on winning a new non-stop route to Asia, to complement its existing services to Europe and Latin America.

Phillip Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, says that new long-range wide bodies like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 make a non-stop to Asia possible.  There are no non-stops between Asia and Florida currently.  A flight from Japan could be possible.  Brown cites the fact that two-thirds of Japanese visitors to Florida travel to the Orlando area.  Japanese carriers All Nippon Airways and Japan Air Lines both have 787s and fly them to the USA.  China opens ups endless possibilities.

The airlines talked amongst themselves at Routes.  The Japan Air Lines’ Airbus A350 order broke with the Boeing 787 still suffering from reliability with several carriers.  Previous new aircraft introductions were also full of incidents, but either forgotten (ANA and Tristar), or in an age before instant rolling news and the internet (Airbus A320).  Lufthansa appears to have cancelled three A380s and with Virgin dropping its commitment is there a future for the four-engined jet (that is all four-engined jets)?  The A340 is finished and 747 production likely to end).  111 A380s are now with airlines, with officially 138 still to be delivered and one carrier totalling 90 aircraft.  Lots of rumours regarding the Bombardier C series but nothing definite.

Routes 2014 will take place in Chicago 5-8 October 2014. www.routesonline.com

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum


www.btnews.co.uk