EUROPE: Important Plane Crashes

A Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed into the French Alps on March 24, 2015 during a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. All 144 passengers and six crew members were killed. A co-pilot with mental problems intentionally crashed the plane.

Rebels in eastern Ukraine were accused of shooting down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on July 17, 2014 during a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

All 298 people on board died, 193 of them Dutch. A Dutch investigation found pro-Russian rebels shot the plane down with a Buk surface-to-air missile launched from separatist territory in eastern Ukraine.

A Polish air force plane carrying President Lech Kaczynski crashed near the Russian airport of Smolensk on April 10, 2010. A Russian and Polish investigation found pilot error during landing in thick fog caused the crash that killed more than 90 people.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the twin brother of Lech and leader of the ruling PiS, suggested the crash was a political assassination.

An Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed in the Atlantic on June 1, 2009, killing all 228 people on board.

It took nearly two years for the black box to be recovered from the bottom of the ocean. The investigation found a combination of technical and pilot error caused the crash.

A Spanair MD-82 plane crashed after take-off from Madrid airport on August 20, 2008, killing 154 people.

Surprisingly, 18 people survived the crash and subsequent fire. The crash was caused by an improper flap and slat configuration and a failure of the pilots to follow a pre-flight checklist.

A Russian passenger plane operated by Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise crashed near the eastern Ukraine city of Donetsk on August 22, 2006, killing all 170 people aboard. The plane was flying from St. Petersburg to the Black Sea resort of Anapa.

A Helios Airways flight from Cyprus crashed on August 14, 2005 near its destination Athens, killing all 121 on board. The crash was caused by a loss of cabin pressurization that immobilized the crew. The plane flew on autopilot until it ran out of fuel and crashed.

On October 8, 2001 a Scandinavian Airlines MD-87 airliner collided with a small Cessna on take-off from Milan's Linate Airport. All 114 people on the SAS and Cessna aircraft were killed, as were four people on the ground. The accident happened in thick fog. The SAS plane crashed into a hangar.

On July 25, 2000 a Air France Concorde flight from Paris to New York crashed two minutes after take-off, killing 109 people on board and four people on the ground.

The crash was caused by the Concorde running over a piece of debris on the runway, which sent tire debris into part of the fuel tank that burst into flames.


Tourism Observer

SCOTLAND: British Airways Lands In Wrong city Of Edinburgh Instead Of Dusseldorf, Germany

Upon landing, passengers were stunned to hear "welcome to Edinburgh." Their flight was supposed to go to Dusseldorf, Germany. The wrong flight plan was filed, and the crew followed it.

Good morning. I'm David Greene. Passengers landing on a British Airways flight were stunned to hear welcome to Edinburgh, as in Scotland. That's because their flight was supposed to go to Dusseldorf, Germany.

The wrong flight plan was filed, and the crew followed it. Why didn't the pilot do the usual, the weather in Edinburgh, before taking off? At least a passenger could have said, excuse me, I think we might be going to the wrong city.

A British Airways plane flew by mistake from London to Edinburgh instead of Dusseldorf in Germany on Monday.

Passengers only found out about the mishap when the pilot said the plane was coming in to land in Edinburgh, which is around 800 kilometres (500 miles) from Dusseldorf.

After the crew realised the mistake, the plane was refueled and flown to Dusseldorf, landing in Germany with a delay of more than three and a half hours.

We are working with WDL Aviation, who operated this flight on behalf of British Airways, to establish why the incorrect flight plan was filed, a spokesman said.

A passenger who was on the plane said: While an interesting concept, I don't think anyone on board has signed up for this mystery travel lottery.

Passenger on the flight said that the wait in Edinburgh was very frustrating.

The toilets were blocked and they ran out of snacks. It was also really stuffy, a passenger insisted.


Tourism Observer

UAE:Emirates Starts Scheduled A380 Flights Onto Dubai-Hamburg Route

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has recently announced it will introduce the first scheduled commercial Airbus A380 service to Hamburg.

To commemorate the inaugural arrival in Hamburg on October 29, the A380 will be deployed on the morning service (EK059/EK060), while from October 30, the A380 will be regularly deployed on the afternoon service (EK061/EK062).

The deployment of the iconic double decker aircraft will represent a capacity increase of over 22 per cent on the route.

With a total of 6,090 weekly seats in each direction, Emirates will offer business and leisure travellers from the North of Germany an even greater choice of travel options to Dubai and to over 150 destinations beyond, highlighting Hamburg’s importance as part of the airline’s global network.

With its existing multiple daily A380 services to Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf, Emirates will be operating all German gateways with its A380 flagship aircraft.

Emirates’ Airbus A380 aircraft serving the Dubai-Hamburg route will offer high levels of comfort and high quality service.

a total of 516 seats in a three-class configuration, with 426 spacious seats in Economy on the main deck, 76 fully flat bed seats in Business and 14 First Class Private Suites on the upper deck.

The Emirates A380 is renowned for its First Class shower spas as well as the onboard lounge for First and Business Class passengers, arguably the most popular social spot at 40,000 feet

Passengers in all classes enjoy free Wi-Fi to stay in touch with family and friends and Emirates’ multi-award winning ‘ice’ in-flight entertainment with up to 3,500 channels of movies, TV programmes, music and podcasts on the industry’s biggest personal screens in each class of travel.

First and Business Class passengers also benefit from a complimentary chauffeur service as well as access to Emirates’ global network of airport lounges, including a 900-square-metre lounge facility at Hamburg Airport.

We are excited to finally bring our Airbus flagship home and see Hamburg join the other 48 destinations we currently serve with the A380, said Volker Greiner, Emirates vice president North and Central Europe.

The Emirates A380 is an iconic aircraft that continues to excite our customers and set the benchmark for travel comfort in commercial flying.

We look forward to offering the award-winning Emirates A380 experience to our customers flying from Hamburg.

The switch to the A380 offers a total of 1,120 additional seats per week in each direction, meeting a growing demand from travellers on the route and demonstrating our commitment to Hamburg.

Enabling an increase in passenger numbers will also result in additional tourism revenues for Hamburg and its wider region, which in turn will mean boosting the local economy and job creation.

Emirates has been a fixed component of our operations and a reliable partner for 12 years now, commented Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport.

Demand has been high on the direct route to the hub in Dubai, now served with two daily flights, from the very beginning.

The fact that Emirates is now also deploying the A380 for scheduled operations at Hamburg Airport is a logical consequence of the consistently high load factor on the Dubai flight.

For passengers, this means even more comfort and an even better product offering. The decision is a clear commitment to Hamburg.

As Hamburg becomes the 49th destination on Emirates’ global network to be served by its highly popular A380 aircraft, passengers travelling from Hamburg can enjoy a seamless A380 to A380 experience via Dubai to Auckland, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo and many more.

This year marks the 10th year of Emirates’ A380 operations.

The airline is by far the largest Airbus A380 operator on the planet.

With a current 103-strong A380 fleet and an order backlog for 59 additional aircraft combined, Emirates’ commitment to the A380 programme is worth over $60 billion.

All Emirates A380s are being fitted at Airbus in Hamburg including significant cabin interior work and final livery, and are being delivered from Hamburg.


Tourism Observer,

FINLAND: Finnair To Launch Flights to Hanover, Germany

Finnair has unveiled plans to launch flights between Helsinki and Hanover, Germany, next summer.

The new route will start on 29 April 2019 with five weekly frequencies and will become a daily and year-round frequency as of 1 June 2019.

Hanover is one of Northern Germany’s largest cities and hosts several important fair and trade events throughout the calendar year.

The city will be Finnair’s seventh destination in Germany as the airline already flies year-round to Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart.

We are very excited to open a new route to Hanover and to continue our growth and expansion into Germany as it is a very important market for Finnair.

We’ve also significantly increased our presence in the German market for the upcoming 2018 summer season by adding approximately 35 percent capacity compared to last summer, said Juha Järvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair.

Additional capacity is also being added for the 2019 summer season on some popular European routes.

Finnair will add four weekly frequencies to Barcelona from the beginning of June until the end of the summer season.

An additional frequency will be added to Reykjavik, making it a daily destination for the entire summer season. In addition, an additional daily frequency will be added to Warsaw on both Saturdays and Sundays.

The airline is also adding capacity on its Helsinki-Dubai route for the upcoming winter 2018 season.

One weekly frequency will be added which means Finnair will fly seven weekly frequencies to Dubai.

In addition, two of the weekly frequencies will now be operated with a A350, instead of a narrow-body aircraft.

Flying some of the Dubai frequencies with the A350 during the winter season will also allow us to offer our Finnair Business Class product with full-flat seats on this popular leisure and business route, Juha Järvinen said.


Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Germania Launches New Routes

Germania has commenced its first services to the French island of Corsica during the last seven days.

Weekly flights (Saturdays) from Dresden (DRS) and Nuremberg (NUE) were started to Bastia (BIA), the second busiest airport on the island after Ajaccio.

The 1,007-kilometre sector from the former airport will be flown by the airline’s 737-700s, while the service from the latter facility will be operated by a mix of Germania’s A320 family.

Both routes were launched on 19 May and neither faces any direct competition.

Germania, on 26 April, launched direct flights between Dresden (DRS) and St. Petersburg (LED).

The capital city of the state of Saxony became a new destination in the Russian airport’s route network and the seventh German city with direct scheduled service.

The LCC operates the city pair twice-weekly with its 737-700 fleet, leaving from the German city on Thursdays and Sundays and the return flights departing Russia on Fridays and Mondays.

In addition to Dresden, St. Petersburg offers direct connections to such German cities as Berlin Schonefeld and Tegel airports by Rossiya Airlines and S7 Airlines respectively.

Hamburg and Dusseldorf by Rossiya, Munich by Rossiya and Lufthansa.

Frankfurt by Lufthansa and Ural Airlines and Cologne Bonn by Pobeda. There is no direct competition on this sector.

Germania now serves the Vienna (VIE) to Rostock (RLG) route twice-weekly (Fridays and Sundays) from 26 May.

The flights, operated by an A319, depart from Rostock at 11:50 and land in Vienna at 13:20, and leave the Austrian capital at 14:05 and arrive back in the Hanseatic city at 15:35.

We are pleased to welcome a new airline at Vienna Airport, namely Germania.

The new route to Rostock makes it even easier for passengers to reach the northern part of Germany, says Julian Jager, Member of the Management Board of Vienna Airport.

The route faces no direct competition. The day before, the airline began weekly (Thursdays) rotations between Hamburg (HAM) and Varna (VAR).

Flown by Germania’s A319 fleet, the city pair will encounter resistance from incumbent SunExpress Germany, which also flies the route on a weekly basis.

The last of the trio of new routes commenced by the airline on 23 May was the addition of another route from its recently opened Palma de Mallorca (PMI) base.

Germania added a twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) service to Montpellier (MPL) on 23 May. Operated by the carrier’s 737-700 fleet, the 459-kilometre sector will face no direct competition.

Germania has commenced two new routes from Germany this week. The airline began weekly (Fridays) operations from Düsseldorf (DUS) to Gazipasa-Alanya (GZP) in Turkey.

The 2,617-kilometre sector will be flown by Germania’s A319 fleet. By contrast, its twice-weekly (Mondays and Thursdays) operation from Nuremberg (NUE) to Athens (ATH), will be flown on its 737-700s. Neither route faces any direct competition.

Germania has based a second aircraft at Berlin Schonefeld (SXF), and is using the fresh capacity to re-start weekly services (Fridays) to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH), thereby reviving a route between the German capital and the Red Sea resort that has not been available for four-and-a-half years.

The following day the carrier also began services to Fuerteventura (FUE), a route that will operate on a twice-weekly basis (Tuesdays and Saturdays).

Unlike the Egyptian sector, the Spanish city pair will see direct competition from Ryanair (twice-weekly) and Condor (weekly).

Both routes will be flown by the carrier’s 737-700 fleet. Additional new features in Germania’s winter flight schedule from Schönefeld include increased capacity to Hurghada and a new route to Gran Canaria which launches next week.

The airline is committed to a policy for growth at this base, as well as Berlin Tegel.

Germania will achieve 400% growth in Berlin, commented Clauspeter Schwarz, Germania’s COO. This is our response to market changes and a greater presence in the capital.

Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, CEO of Berlin Brandenburg said: We are very pleased with the increased commitment of Germania to Berlin.

The wider range of flight offerings, the development of its bases at our two locations, as well as the maintenance operations at Schonefeld make the airline a key partner for us.”


Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Airberlin Stops All Caribbean Long-Haul Flights

airberlin, which filed for bankruptcy last month, is to close all of its long-haul routes to the Caribbean from Sept. 25 because of cuts to its long-haul fleet.

On Sept. 11, the oneworld member said its entire Caribbean network will be closed, including flights from Dusseldorf to Curacao (Dutch Antilles), Cancun (Mexico), Havanna and Varadero (Cuba), as well as Punta Cana and Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic).

Airberlin has already announced plans to close all of its long-haul routes from Berlin Tegel – including Berlin-Abu Dhabi – as well as cuts to its Dusseldorf network.

Berlin-Los Angeles and Berlin-San Francisco will now stop four weeks earlier than originally planned, from Oct. 1. Dusseldorf-Boston Logan will also close earlier than expected, on Oct. 1.

Airberlin, which is Germany’s second largest carrier, filed for insolvency Aug. 15 after 29.2% shareholder Etihad Airways withdrew financial support.




Tourism Observer

SPAIN: Sun Express B737 Emergency Lands In Toulouse

Sun Express Deutschland Boeing 737-800 was performing flight from Fuerteventura to Dusseldorf, with 192 people on board, when the crew reported an aft cargo smoke indication and decided to divert to Toulouse.

Soon after the crew reported the cargo smoke indication had ceased, nonetheless, they continued diversion to Toulouse and would stop on the runway needing stairs at the runway to deplane the passengers.

ATC advised other departing and arriving aircraft to expect a delay of 50 minutes or more due to the emergency, all departures and landings on both runways were stopped.

During the descent towards Toulouse the smoke indication activated and ceased again, the crew requested stairs at the aircraft as well as ground power unit and a tow truck to pull the aircraft off the runway.

The aircraft landed safely on Toulouse’s runway 32L and stopped on the runway, the crew advised the left hand engine was kept running at idle power, emergency services advised that there was no smoke visible and the cargo doors were not hot, the captain instructed emergency services to not open the cargo doors before all passengers had left the aircraft.

No stairs, no ground power unit and no tow truck were available about 45 minutes after landing, about 60 minutes after landing GPU and stairs arrived.

The left engine was shut down, the passengers disembarked via the stairs onto the runway and were bussed to the terminal. Emergency services subsequently checked the aft cargo hold, then the forward cargo hold but found no trace of fire, heat or smoke.

Runway 32R re-opened about 95 minutes after landing.



Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Germania To Add More Flights To Greece In 2018

German carrier Germania has revised its flight program for summer 2018 and will operate more frequent flights from Dusseldorf to Greece.

The new destinations include the Greek islands of Crete, Karpathos, Kos, Lesvos, Rhodes and Zakynthos. Additionally, the number of connections to the island of Samos will be increased to two per week.

In 2018 Germania will also operate a new twice weekly service from Dresden to Athens. Moreover, in 2018 the airline will launch flights from Germany to Thessaloniki and Corfu.

Germania already operates seasonal direct flights from the German cities of Bremen and Nuremberg to Athens and also offers service to select Greek islands through a codeshare agreement with Greek airline Sky Express.

Top Kinissis Hellas is the General Sales Agent (GSA) of Germania in Greece.

New flights to Canary Islands and Portugal

Germania also announced that in 2018 it will fly to the Canary Islands of Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma and Tenerife. Also new to the airline’s schedule are the Portuguese destinations Faro on the Atlantic coast and Ponta Delgada at the Azores.

Also, in 2018 two flights a week twill continue to take off from Germany to Paphos in Cyprus.

Germania’s 2018 winter schedule also includes four flights a week for Tel Aviv.

In efforts to meet demand from the Turkish community in Germany, Germania offers an extensive choice of flights to Turkey.

The destination airports include Edremit, Alanya/Gazipasa, Hatay and Zonguldak. A new addition is Kütahya/Zafer, while the flights to Malatya are being increased.



Tourism Observer

SEYCHELLES: Air Seychelles Stops Flights To Dusseldorf Cuts Paris From 4 To 3 Per Week

Air Seychelles’ has decided to stop flights to Duseldorf as well as reduce flights to Paris from 4 weekly to 3 per week from september.

decision to reduce their nonstop flights between Mahe and Paris from the present four services per week to three already from September while Duesseldorf flights will be axed altogether has thrown a spanner in the works of many tourism stakeholders banking on an increased flow of tourists from these two destinations.

Said Neil Kinnear, the CEO of Air Seychelles, when making the announcement about stopping Dusseldorf flights said We have made the difficult decision to suspend flying to Düsseldorf after an in-depth review of the route showed that the service is unsustainable.

Given the high number of airlines operating or offering connectivity out of Germany, the seasonal nature of the route where peak travel periods are outweighed by low demand during the off-peak season, the extremely competitive levels of fares and existing fuel prices, it is not viable for us to continue serving the market at this point in time.

In addition, the volume of connecting traffic from our partner airlines over Düsseldorf has not lived up to expectations, making it harder to sustain the necessary passenger loads to meet our commercial objectives.

Germany is an important tourism market for Seychelles and we will continue to work with our codeshare partners to offer excellent one-stop connections via Paris with Air France and via Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways‘.

Kinnear explain the rationale behind the reduction of nonstop Paris flights when he added: As a result of the weakened demand for air travel out of France, we have also taken the commercial decision to reduce our Paris service from four to three flights per week.

While passenger numbers are strong during the summer months of July and August, the declining demand as we enter the off-peak season in September does not provide the required level of support for our fourth frequency going forward, which operates mid-week on Tuesdays/Wednesdays.

The route will continue to be operated with a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with flights operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays out of Seychelles and on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays out of Paris.

Jean Weeling – Lee, Chairman of Air Seychelles, said: Due to year on year increase of cost of fuel, an extremely competitive aviation market in Europe, and the high number of significant airlines already serving Seychelles through their connecting hubs, it unfortunately results in Air Seychelles being forced to consolidate these services.

Any passengers already booked beyond the dates given will be rebooked or refunded. Said the airline’s website:

· Guests holding tickets on Dusseldorf flights after 8 September, 2017 are invited to visit Air Seychelles website call center or contact their Travel Agent.

· Guests holding tickets on Paris flights departing from Seychelles on Tuesdays and from Paris on Wednesdays after 6 September, 2017 are invited to visit Air Seychelles website contactcenter or contact their Travel Agent.

Air Seychelles, the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles, today announced that it will adjust its European route network.

As part of the adjustment, the airline will suspend its service to Düsseldorf from 10 September and reduce its Paris operation from four services to a three-per-week schedule from 12 September.

Roy Kinnear, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, said: “We have made the difficult decision to suspend flying to Düsseldorf after an in-depth review of the route showed that the service is unsustainable.

“Given the high number of airlines operating or offering connectivity out of Germany, the seasonal nature of the route where peak travel periods are outweighed by low demand during the off-peak season, the extremely competitive levels of fares and existing fuel prices, it is not viable for us to continue serving the market at this point in time.

“In addition, the volume of connecting traffic from our partner airlines over Düsseldorf has not lived up to expectations, making it harder to sustain the necessary passenger loads to meet our commercial objectives.

“Germany is an important tourism market for Seychelles and we will continue to work with our codeshare partners to offer excellent one-stop connections via Paris with Air France and via Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways.”

Speaking about the upcoming change in weekly frequencies on the Paris service, Mr Kinnear said: “As a result of the weakened demand for air travel out of France, we have also taken the commercial decision to reduce our Paris service from four to three flights per week.

“While passenger numbers are strong during the summer months of July and August, the declining demand as we enter the off-peak season in September does not provide the required level of support for our fourth frequency going forward, which operates mid-week on Tuesdays/Wednesdays.

“The route will continue to be operated with a two-class Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with flights operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays out of Seychelles and on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays out of Paris.”

Jean Weeling – Lee, Chairman of Air Seychelles, said: “Due to year on year increase of cost of fuel, an extremely competitive aviation market in Europe, and the high number of significant airlines already serving Seychelles though their connecting hubs, it unfortunately results in Air Seychelles being forced to consolidate these services.”

All guests who are affected by the service changes will be offered alternative travel arrangements with Air Seychelles.

Codeshare Partners

Air Seychelles codeshares offer you a wider network of exciting destinations at greater convenience. You will now enjoy your journey while keeping the Air Seychelles flight number, with the added benefit of experiencing our partner airline’s product and services.


- Etihad Airways

- Alitalia

- Jet Airways

- Air Berlin

- Air Serbia

- Air France

- South African Airways




Tourism Observer
www.tourismobserver.com

GERMANY: airberlin Needs More Than 500 New Cabin Attendants

airberlin wants to reinforce its cabin crews and is organising casting calls for future flight attendants in Berlin, Dusseldorf and Munich. More than 500 new jobs in airberlin’s cabins are to be filled.

Due to the long-haul expansion planned for next year, airberlin needs more than 500 new cabin attendants.

The desired profile is outgoing people with strong communication skills who have finished their schooling, are at least 18 years old, and who are passionate about on-board hospitality as well as passenger safety and satisfaction. A high degree of self-initiative, autonomy, flexibility and ability to work under pressure are just as important as good German- and English-language skills. A friendly and well-groomed appearance completes the desired applicant profile.

Successful applicants will be prepared for working on board the aircraft during an approximately eight-week training course in Berlin, Dusseldorf or Munich. This will entail, among other things, learning the on-board safety procedures as well as first aid training.

Special training courses in service and sales, communication and intercultural competence will also be part of the training. After the training has been successfully completed, the flight attendants will be deployed on short- and medium-haul routes. After working for the company for eight months, the flight attendants will have the possibility of obtaining additional qualifications to work on long-haul routes.

At the open casting calls, the candidates can expect an interview in English, a short general knowledge test and then a personal interview. Applicants should bring a valid photo ID or passport to the casting calls.

Overview of the casting calls; from 9 am to 6 pm on each date, last entry at 5 pm:

11/22 Landshut, Michel Hotel Landshut, Papiererstrasse 2, 84034 Landshut
12/08 München, Hilton Munich Airport, Terminalstraße Mitte 20, 85356 München
12/16 Berlin, RIU Plaza Hotel, Martin-Luther-Str. 1, 10777 Berlin
01/11 Berlin, RIU Plaza Hotel, Martin-Luther-Str. 1, 10777 Berlin
01/13 Düsseldorf, Maritim Airport, Maritim-Platz 1, 40474 Düsseldorf
01/20 München, Hilton Munich Airport, Terminalstraße Mitte 20, 85356 München

SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines Gets First Airbus A350-900, To Fly To Amsterdam

After a near ten-year wait, Singapore Airlines (SIA) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-900, which CEO Goh Choon Phong said would be a "game changer" for the flag-carrier.

The latest addition to the fleet was received with a water-cannon salute at Changi Airport in Singapore, after a long journey from the Airbus delivery center in Toulouse, France.

"The addition of the A350-900 exemplifies Singapore Airlines' longstanding commitment to operate a young and modern fleet," Goh said.

"The A350 will be a game-changer for us, allowing for flights to more long-haul destinations on a non-stop basis, which will help us boost our network competitiveness and further develop the important Singapore hub."

Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, was a guest of honor for the arrival of the new aircraft.

The delivery marks the first step in the airline's major overhaul of its current fleet in the medium to long-haul range, in a bid to maintain its position as the standard-setting full service carrier in Asia.

The aircraft will be operated on Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur flights on a temporary basis while crew are trained on it, before being put to work on 13-hour flights to Amsterdam from May 9.

Singapore Airlines also plans to use the aircraft to add services to Dusseldorf, Germany, from July.

The airline will offer business, premium economy and economy class seats on the flights, as well as what Singapore Airlines' SVP for Marketing Planning Lee Wen Fen described as the world's most advanced in-flight entertainment system.

The carrier said the addition to its fleet would offer customers an improved travel experience, with new features including higher ceilings, larger windows and special ambient LED lighting that is designed to reduce jetlag and project "special effects" onto the ceiling of the plane.

Geoffrey Thomas said the A350 gave Singapore Airlines a big advantage over other regional carriers because it allowed it to compete with airlines that had the Boeing 787.

"The A350 is slightly larger than the 787 and is a true Boeing 777-200 replacement," he said.

"The A350 is a major leap forward over the Boeing 777 in economics and passenger comfort thanks to its composite structure and new technology engines."

Airbus claims the A350 has 25 percent better fuel consumption than its current aluminum long-range competitors, and that despite being 68 times more powerful than a F1 racing car, it's also one of the quietest in its class.

According to Singapore Airlines, the first batch of A350-900s for long-haul flights will seat 253 passengers across the three classes of seating.

Singapore Airlines is Airbus's biggest customer for the A350-900, having placed its first order for the aircraft in July 2006.
It now has 67 A350s on firm order, including seven of an ultra-long-range model that will be delivered in 2018 for use on non-stop services between Singapore and the U.S.

Singapore Airlines expects to take delivery of 11 A350-900s in the aircraft's first year of operation and has the option to purchase 20 additional A350s.

AirAsia X, Air China, Asiana Airlines, Japan Airlines, Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines have also placed orders for the aircraft, while Asian rival Cathay Pacific is set to receive its first A350 "in the coming months" according to reports.

"The Asian market is extremely competitive with China emerging as a big threat to traditional dominant players such as Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways," Thomas said.

"There is also long haul competition from the Middle East giants. Plus, recently old players such as U.S.-based United Airlines are dramatically up-gauging their product with 787s and offering new non-stops such as San Francisco to Singapore from June 1."

Collapsing oil prices and subsequent lower fuel expenses are providing a tailwind for the airline industry, and Singapore Airlines has also seen decent growth within its affiliate airlines, SilkAir and Scoot.

The company posted a 36 percent increase in third-quarter net profit to S$275 million ($197.4 million) in February, achieved mainly through lower fuel expenses and gains from the disposal of aircraft, however the profit gain was partially offset by almost S$150 million in losses due to hedging and currency fluctuations.

While other carriers have delayed the retirement of older aircraft and remain cautious on the demand outlook at a time of weak global economic growth, Goh said he was confident the efficiency of the new aircraft would enable Singapore Airlines to introduce more new destinations.

UAE: ETIHAD Outlines 2-class 787-9 Operation In 2016

ETIHAD today announced planned new Boeing 787-9 operation scheduled for 2016, which will gradually enter operations on following 5 routes between May and November 2016. The airline will be taking delivery of 2-class 787-9, with configuration of J28Y271.

Planned service entry date as follow.

eff 01MAY16 Abu Dhabi – Dusseldorf (Previously served by 3-class 787-9 in 2014/15)
eff 01JUN16 Abu Dhabi – Perth
eff 01AUG16 Abu Dhabi – Istanbul Ataturk
eff 01AUG16 Abu Dhabi – Shanghai Pu Dong
eff 01NOV16 Abu Dhabi – Johannesburg

GERMANY: Intersky And Minoan Air Stop Flying

Two European regional airlines have stopped flying this week as the summer peak demand turns into winter over supply of flights.

Intersky the German carrier, which flew domestic scheduled services from Friedrichshafen Airport to Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Berlin Tegel and Hamburg Fuhlsbühl and international flights from Zurich to Graz and Salzburg has decided to call it a day and grounded its fleet of two ATR72-600s and three Dash 8-300s

In a similar story, Minoan Air based in Heraklion in Greece, has suspended operations but hopefully this is only temporary with its fleet of four four Fokker 50s aircraft which had operated scheduled services between Athens, Heraklion, Alexandroupolis, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Kos, Mytilene, Mykonos, and Santorini grounded for the timebeing pending a corporate reorganisation.

Alternative Airlines can provide alternative ways of flying between all these destinations and we specialise in helping passengers book and travel on less well known carriers throughout the world. As a specialist we can guide passengers with access to up to date information on what is happening in the comlex world of airlines, we are our your experts in air travel.

With our new, exciting subsidary site, self connect.flights we have a unique service - on-line and telephone bookings for the discerning traveller.

TURKEY: AtlasGlobal Airlines Announce New Flights To Kayseri

The dynamic and passenger friendly Turkish airline, AtlasGlobal has launched a new daily domestic route from its home base in Istanbul Ataturk Airport to the regional centre, Kayseri, in central Anatolia starting from December 14th 2015.

AtlasGlobal will fly the new scheduled service each day, leaving Istanbul at 19:50 arriving 21:15 in Kayseri with the return flight departing Kayseri at 0645 every morning arriving Istanbul at 08:10. The flights are timed to allow passengers from Dusseldorf, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Ercan, Zaparojye and Lviv to connect in both directions through Istanbul for onward flights to Kayseri.

Kayseri is one of Turkey's larger cities and commercial centre of Kayseri Province. Situated at the foot of the extinct volcano, Mount Erciyes, Kayseri is located on the historic Great Silk Road. the city is served by Erkilet International Airport.

AtlasGlobal, is a preferred airline, whose combination of competitve fares and friendly on board service make it a favourite for many of our passengers travelling to Turkey from cities across Europe.

GERMANY: airberlin Flies To 138 Destinations Worldwide

airberlin flies to 138 destinations worldwide - normally... But now and then, the airline also heads for destinations that are not in its schedule. A classic in the airberlin portfolio of special flights is the sightseeing flight over the North Pole: on 23 April 2016, the airberlin Deutsche Polarflug will once again depart Dusseldorf for the North Pole. The approximately twelve-hour special flight over the Arctic and North Pole in an Airbus A330-200 is a world exclusive, not available from any other airline. The flight is organised and operated together with airevents.

"Our range of special flights extends from the traditional Polar flight, through comet observation flights, to full charter flights for companies. We fly entire orchestras to their concerts and football clubs to tournaments", said Karsten von dem Hagen, Head of the Special Flights Department at airberlin. What's special about these non-scheduled flights is that the customer can decide how they are organised: "Do we need catering, and if so, how much? Is checked baggage included or not?" We clarify all this with our customers, von dem Hagen explains. Special flights can also be arranged to destinations that are not included in the regular airberlin schedule.

Von dem Hagen and his team organize around 250 special flights every year. "The flight to the North Pole has become a particular highlight. The atmosphere on board is unique. The flight now attracts a number of regular passengers and is also a popular gift for wedding anniversaries and special birthdays", von dem Hagen reports. Upon reaching the North Pole, the airberlin crew serves traditional champagne and at the end of the flight, each passenger receives a certificate confirming their successful participation in the Polar flight.