UNITED KINGDOM: British Airline Pilots Association May Halt Strikes Next Week If British Airways Bows

The British Airline Pilots Association says it could call off proposed strikes next week if British Airways agrees to come back to the negotiating table.

A number of pilots at British Airways will take industrial action on September 9th and 10th.

The pilots’ union says it has put forward a new proposal in a letter to British Airways chief executive, Alex Cruz, in a bid to come to a deal with the company.

The strikes, voted in favour by 93 per cent of British Airline Pilots Association’s British Airways members, could still go ahead if the airline continues to refuse meaningful discussions.

British Airline Pilots Association general secretary, Brian Strutton, said: Our members’ resolve is very strong, and they remain very angry with British Airways, but they also want to leave no stone unturned in trying to find a resolution to their dispute.

We urge British Airways to join us to discuss the new proposal which shows pilots are willing to be flexible but still stand united in getting a better deal.

British Airways has rejected the British Airline Pilots Association understanding of the situation.

A statement from the airline said: We do not believe the union is acting in good faith by making an 11th-hour inflated proposal which would cost an additional £50 million.

The union was acting cynically by waiting until a late stage when the airline had already made arrangements to manage the industrial action, the carrier added.

Our customers need the certainty that British Airline Pilots Association will call off the strikes for good, not just for two days next week, the airline said.

Another day of strike action is scheduled for September 27th.

British Airways on Thursday dismissed a proposal by a pilots union to avoid strike action next week as unrealistic, leaving it little closer to resolving a dispute over pay with its pilots that could disrupt its services.

Earlier the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) had said that BA pilots could call off proposed strikes set for Sept. 9 and 10 if the airline agreed to come back to the negotiating table.

But British Airways said the new BALPA proposal would cost an additional £50 million and slammed the union’s new and unrealistic demands. No further talks between the sides are planned at the moment.

We remain open to constructive talks with BALPA to resolve the pay negotiations, but we do not believe the union is acting in good faith by making an eleventh hour inflated proposal, the airline said in a statement.

BALPA said last month that the pilots would go on strike for three days in September in a dispute over pay that could disrupt the peak holiday season.

The pilots overwhelmingly voted for industrial action in July and the airline, which is part of IAG, failed in a court bid to stop them.

BALPA has said that British Airways should share more of its profits with its pilots. The union has also given notice to the airline that it will call on its members to strike on Sept. 27.

Our members’ resolve is very strong and they remain very angry with BA, but they also want to leave no stone unturned in trying to find a resolution to their dispute, BALPA General Secretary Brian Strutton said.

Avoiding strike action and agreeing a deal with their pilots surely must be the desired outcome for British Airways.

British Airways has said the strike action was unjustifiable as its pay offer was fair and that the strikes would destroy the travel plans of tens of thousands of customers.

The airline said in August it was exploring options to supplement its fleet with aircraft and crew from other airlines, a practice known as wet-leasing, and working with partner airlines to schedule larger aircraft to take more customers.

BALPA has cynically waited until we have helped the vast majority of customers with alternative travel arrangements, and our planning for a strike has reached a critical stage, British Airways said.

Our customers need the certainty that BALPA will call off the strikes for good, not just for two days next week.

Tourism Observer

SPAIN: Iberia Acquires Its First A350-900

Iberia has taken delivery of its first of 16 A350 XWB on order, becoming the 18th airline to operate the world’s newest and most efficient twin-engine widebody.

The aircraft is the first A350-900 to feature the latest performance improvement package including a wing twist, extended winglets and increased maximum takeoff weight capability, delivering unrivaled performance across Iberia’s network.

The aircraft is configured in a premium three-class layout, with 348 seats, including 31 full lie-flat bed Business, 24 Premium Economy and 293 Economy seats.

We are delighted to receive our first A350, an aircraft that represents perfectly the efficiency and modernity of the new Iberia, as well as the power and energy that brought us here, said Luis Gallego, President of Iberia.

If during these last years we transformed ourselves to survive, now we are transforming ourselves for excellence, a cycle change that this new aircraft represents so well.

We are tremendously proud of Airbus’ long-standing relationship with Iberia and to be delivering its first A350-900, said Tom Enders, Airbus CEO.

Iberia was a founding member airline of IAG, a group that with this delivery successfully operates every member of our commercial aircraft family, from the A318 to the largest A380 and now the most modern A350. Congratulations to the teams of Iberia and IAG.

The A350-900 will join Iberia’s all-Airbus fleet comprising more than 100 aircraft including Iberia Express, allowing them to leverage the full benefit of Airbus’ unique aircraft family commonality.

In order to reduce its carbon footprint, the A350 XWB delivery flight from Toulouse to Madrid is fuelled with a blend of sustainable jet fuel.

To date, Airbus has recorded 847 firm orders for the A350 XWB from 44 customers worldwide, already making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.


Tourism Observer

ITALY: Alitalia Reveals New Uniforms, Might Be Dressing Up For Their Funeral

Alitalia unveiled its new Flight Attendant uniforms today at the opening of Milan’s Fashion Week.

This new collection, albeit heavily criticized by industry analysts, stems from numerous requests from the airline’s crew who have complained of comfort issues, as well as operability from the current uniforms.

Alitalia revealed its current uniforms less than two years ago, following Etihad’s investment in the Italian carrier.

According to the airline, the new uniforms have been designed by the Italian stylist taking into consideration the advice and suggestions of current Alitalia staff.

The idea of bringing the creativity, elegance, and quality of our country in the world, on board Alitalia, makes me very proud, said the designer.

I am happy to present this project during Milan Fashion Week in such an official setting as Palazzo Reale in Piazza del Duomo, she added.

Italian Fashion Designer Alberta Ferretti presented the new uniforms, which were described to be elegant and timeless.

The new design for both male and female Flight Attendants are composed of a suit and dress, both made of a fresh blue wool, a no season fabric with a thin and breathable texture that ensures comfort and allows for freedom of movement during the flight and on the ground.

Each piece is personalized with buttons, all of which come engraved with the Alitalia “A” in satin gold.

The women’s dress comes with a waistband that’s designed with the three colors of the Italian flag, as well as with the airline’s logo.

The uniforms include cotton poplin shirts with a small pocket, a scarf, and silk tie for all male Flight Attendants. Leather gloves and pure wool knitwear are also part of the new accessories.

For the onboard service, a vest and apron-style dress in an Alitalia-branded jacquard fabric complete the new uniform’s design.

The collaboration with Alberta Ferretti gives prestige to Alitalia, said Fabio Maria Lazzerini, Alitalia’s Chief Commercial Officer and Revenue Management.

The new uniforms are a recognition of the work of thousands of colleagues who every day carry out professionally a crucial task for each airline: ensuring that passengers experience a unique travel experience in the name of quality. For this reason, we felt it was our duty to guarantee maximum comfort and well-being in their daily activities, he added.

However, last week during the IATA AGM in Sydney, IAG’s CEO, Willie Walsh, said that it was madness for Alitalia to be spending on new uniforms while on bankruptcy.

These new uniforms will cost them €7 million. It’s madness, Walsh said.

And Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman at CAPA, quickly added that the airline might be dressing up for their funeral.

Internal sources hint that Alitalia’s real reason for switching their uniforms is that Etihad asked them to remove any resemblance to the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s design.

The current state at which Alitalia is immersed in has driven the Italian government to evaluate further emergency funding to keep the airline afloat.

However, during the IATA AGM, Lufthansa’s CEO, Carsten Spohr admitted being interested in taking over the airline and adding it to its successful portfolio of carriers.

Lufthansa’s stake in Swiss, Brussels, Austrian, and now Eurowings have proven to be successful, with all airlines turning profits and increasing their footprint both in Europe and the world.

Spohr challenges that the Italian government needs to come up with a viable decision for the airline. Alitalia needs to be restructured before we can do something, he told Italian journal, Corriere della Sera.

Just like Swiss and Austrian Airlines show, when we come into play, companies start making profits, he said.

Spohr also noted that he won’t be putting any pressure on the Italian government. But he confirmed that without a proper restructuring, there will be no investment in the airline.

In all modesty, we’re not Etihad. We will only invest after the airline is restructured. Not before, like they did, he emphasized.

Spohr is a firm believer that Alitalia would be would be a great addition to its group, with Rome becoming its fifth hub in Europe after Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, and Vienna.

With the new Italian government just established, Alitalia’s agenda is still undefined.

As the country transitions into a new alliance government and other political issues are addressed, Alitalia’s losses continue to drive the airline into a steeper crisis.

And while the new uniforms are introduced to the airline’s extensive network, time and money might be running out at a pace that might exceed any expectations from both the government and the airline itself.


Tourism Observer

NETHERLANDS: KLM Suffers Severe Turbulence On A Flight To Amsterdam Injuring 4

KLM Boeing 777, performing flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, was enroute over the Atlantic Ocean when the aircraft suffered severe turbulence causing injuries to two passengers and two flight attendants.

After assessment of the injuries the crew decided to continue the flight to Amsterdam, descending towards Amsterdam the crew requested medical assistance available at landing advising there was one should injury and one wheelchair being needed for transport.

The aircraft landed safely in Amsterdam. The injured were provided with medical care at Amsterdam.

The aircraft departed for the next flight about 5.5 hours after landing.

Also Air France-KLM has agreed to waive surcharges for leisure and corporate customers that book through Expedia Group brands Expedia, Ebookers and Egencia.

As of April 1, Air France-KLM added an €11 fee for each one-way flight segment not booked directly with its airlines – Air France, KLM and Hop.

This agreement waives that fee in all European markets, including the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Expedia Group says the agreement is part of a collaborative effort by Air France-KLM and selected GDS partners to integrate IATA’s New Distribution Capabilities (NDC) technology standard.

Last week Travelport and Amadeus also signed deals with Air France-KLM to allow their customers to access the airlines’ content without paying the surcharge.

Air France-KLM announced the fee in November, saying it will cover the cost difference between flights booked through a global distribution system and those booked directly with the carrier.

IAG's British Airways and Iberia implemented a fee for GDS bookings last fall, and Lufthansa added a similar surcharge in September 2015.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V., is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

It is part of the Air France–KLM group, and is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. KLM was founded in 1919; it is the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name and had 35,488 employees as of 2015. KLM operates scheduled passenger and cargo services to 145 destinations.

On 30 September 2003, Air France and KLM agreed to a merger plan in which Air France and KLM would become subsidiaries of a holding company called Air France–KLM. Both airlines would retain their own brands, and both Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol would become key hubs.

In February 2004, the European Commission and United States Department of Justice approved the proposed merger of the airlines. In April 2004, an exchange offer in which KLM shareholders exchanged their KLM shares for Air France shares took place.

Since 5 May 2004, Air France–KLM has been listed on the Euronext exchanges in Paris, Amsterdam and New York. In September 2004, the merger was completed by creation of the Air France–KLM holding company.

The merger resulted in the world's largest airline group and should have led to an estimated annual cost-saving of between €400 million and €500 million.

It did not appear that KLM's longstanding joint venture with Northwest Airlines—which merged with Delta Air Lines in 2008—was affected by the merger with Air France. KLM and Northwest joined the SkyTeam alliance in September 2004.

In 2004, senior management came under fire for providing itself with controversial bonuses after the merger with Air France, while 4,500 jobs were lost at KLM. After external pressure, management gave up on these bonuses.

In March 2007, KLM started to use the Amadeus reservation system, along with partner Kenya Airways. After 10 years as president of the airline, Leo van Wijk resigned from his position and was succeeded by Peter Hartman.

Beginning in September 2010, KLM integrated the passenger division of Martinair into KLM, transferring all personnel and routes. By November 2011, Martinair consisted of only the cargo and maintenance division.

In March 2011, KLM and InselAir reached an agreement for mutual cooperation on InselAir destinations, thus expanding its passenger services.

Beginning 27 March 2011, KLM passengers could fly to all InselAir destinations through InselAir's hubs in Curaçao and Sint Maarten. This cooperation was extended to a codeshare agreement in 2012.

On 20 February 2013, KLM announced that Peter Hartman would resign as president and CEO of KLM on 1 July 2013. He was succeeded by Camiel Eurlings. Hartman remained employed by the company until he retired on 1 January 2014.

On 15 October 2014, KLM announced that Eurlings, in joint consultation with the supervisory board, had decided to immediately resign as president and CEO. As of this date, he was succeeded by Pieter Elbers.

KLM received the award for "Best Airline Staff Service" in Europe at the World Airline Awards 2013. This award represents the rating for an airline's performance across both airport staff and cabin staff combined.

It is the second consecutive year that KLM won this award; in 2012 it was awarded with this title as well. On 19 June 2012, KLM made the first transatlantic flight fueled partly by sustainable biofuels to Rio de Janeiro. This was the longest distance any aircraft had flown on biofuels.

As of October 2015, KLM's corporate leader is its president and chief executive officer (CEO) Pieter Elbers, who replaced Camiel Eurlings suddenly on 15 October 2014.

The president and CEO is part of the larger Executive Committee, which manages KLM and consists of the statutory managing directors and executive vice-presidents of KLM's business units that are represented in the Executive Committee.

The supervision and management of KLM are structured in accordance with the two-tier model; the Board of Managing Directors is supervised by a separate and independent Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board also supervises the general performance of KLM.

The Board of Managing Directors is formed by the four Managing Directors, including the CEO. Nine Supervisory Directors comprise the Supervisory Board.

KLM's head office is located in Amstelveen, on a 6.5-hectare (16-acre) site near Schiphol Airport. The airline's current headquarters was built between 1968 and 1970. Before the opening of the new headquarters, the airline's head office was on the property of Schiphol Airport in Haarlemmermeer.

KLM also worked closely with ALM Antillean Airlines in the Caribbean in order to provide air service for the Dutch controlled islands in the region with KLM aircraft such as the Douglas DC-8 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 being operated by KLM flight crews on behalf of ALM.

KLM Asia is a wholly KLM-owned subsidiary registered in Taiwan. The airline was established in 1995 to operate flights to Taipei without compromising the traffic rights held by KLM for destinations in the People's Republic of China.

The livery of KLM Asia does not feature Dutch national symbols, such as the flag of the Netherlands, nor KLM's stylised Dutch Crown logo. Instead, it features a special KLM Asia logo. The airline has seven Boeing 777-200ER and two Boeing 777-300ER.

KLM Asia initially operated the Amsterdam-Bangkok-Taipei route with a B747-400 Combi or a B747-400 non-combi aircraft.

Since March 2012, it has operated the revised Amsterdam-Taipei-Manila route with Boeing 777-200ER/-300ER aircraft. Some aircraft are already painted in the revised KLM Asia livery of 2014.

KLM has utilized several major liveries since its founding, with numerous variations on each. Initially many aircraft featured a bare-metal fuselage with a stripe above the windows bearing the phrase "The Flying Dutchman".

The rudder was divided into three segments and painted to match the Dutch flag. Later aircraft types sometimes bore a white upper fuselage, and additional detail striping and titling.

In the mid-1950s, the livery was changed to feature a split cheatline in two shades of blue on a white upper fuselage, and angled blue stripes on the vertical stabilizer. The tail stripes were later enlarged and made horizontal, and the then-new crown logo was placed in a white circle.

The final major variation of this livery saw the vertical stabilizer painted completely white with the crown logo in the center. All versions of this livery had small "KLM Royal Dutch Airlines" titles, first in red, and later in blue.

Since 1971, the KLM livery has primarily featured a bright blue fuselage, with variations on the striping and details. Originally a wide, dark blue cheatline covered the windows, and was separated from the light gray lower fuselage by a thin white stripe.

The KLM logo was placed centrally on the white tail and on the front of the fuselage. In December 2002, KLM introduced an updated livery in which the white strip was removed and the dark-blue cheatline was significantly narrowed. The bright blue color was retained and now covers most of the fuselage.

The KLM logo was placed more centrally on the fuselage while its position on the tail and the tail design remained the same. In 2014, KLM modified its livery with a swooping cheatline that wraps around the entire forward fuselage. The livery was first introduced on Embraer 190 aircraft.

In 2018 KLM will introduce a new livery owing to the unpopular reception to the revised scheme introduced in 2014.

KLM also has several aircraft painted in special liveries; they include the following:

PH-BVA, a Boeing 777-300ER, features an orange forward fuselage that fades into the standard blue to commemorate the Netherlands national team's participation in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

PH-KZU, a Fokker F70, has been applied with a special livery featuring Anthony Fokker, the founder of Fokker, commemorating the airline's long standing history with Fokker aircraft and the phase out of the Fokker 70 aircraft in October 2017.

Several aircraft bear the silver SkyTeam alliance livery, including PH-BVD (a 777-300ER), PH-BXO (a 737-900), and PH-EZX (a KLM Cityhopper ERJ-190).

In April 2010, KLM introduced new uniforms for its female cabin attendants, ground attendants and pilots at KLM and KLM Cityhopper. The new uniform was designed by Dutch couturier Mart Visser.

It retains the KLM blue color that was introduced in 1971 and adds a touch of orange—the national color of the Netherlands.

KLM has used several slogans for marketing throughout its operational history:

- The businessman travels, sends, and receives by KLM

- The Flying Dutchman

- Bridging the World 1994

- The Reliable Airline

- KLM, A Journey of Inspiration 2009–present.

KLM started KLM AirCares, a program that aids underprivileged children in developing countries to which KLM flies, in 1999. The airline collects money and airmiles from passengers. In 2012, new applications for support from the program were suspended because it needed an overhaul.

KLM and its partners serve 133 destinations in 70 countries on five continents from their hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

KLM codeshares with the following airlines:

- Adria Airways
- Aer Lingus
- Aeroflot
- Aerolíneas Argentinas
- Aeroméxico
- Air Astana
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Air Malta
- Air Mauritius
- Air Serbia
- airBaltic
- Alaska Airlines ends April 30, 2018
- Alitalia
- Bangkok Airways
- Belavia
- Bulgaria Air
- China Airlines
- China Eastern Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- CityJet
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Czech Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Etihad Airways
- Garuda Indonesia
- Georgian Airways
- Gol Transportes Aéreos
- Insel Air
- Jet Airways
- Kenya Airways
- Korean Air
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Pegasus Airlines
- Saudia
- Sichuan Airlines
- TAAG Angola Airlines
- TAROM
- Transavia
- Ukraine International Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- WestJet
- XiamenAir

As of January 2018, the KLM fleet excluding its subsidiaries KLM Cityhopper, Transavia and Martinair consists of the following aircraft:

Airbus A330-200 - 8
Airbus A330-300 - 5
Boeing 737-700 - 18
Boeing 737-800 - 27
Boeing 737-900 - 5
Boeing 747-400 - 4
Boeing 747-400M - 9
Boeing 777-200ER - 15
Boeing 777-300ER - 14
Boeing 787-9 - 12
KLM Cargo Fleet
Boeing 747-400ERF - 3 Cargo

KLM has three cabin classes for international long-haul routes; World Business Class, Economy Comfort and Economy. Personal screens with audio-video on demand, satellite telephone, SMS, and e-mail services are available in all cabins on all long-haul aircraft .

European short-haul and medium-haul flights have Economy seats in the rear cabin, and Economy Comfort and Europe Business in the forward cabin.

World Business Class is KLM's long-haul business class product. Seats in the older World Business Class are 20 inches (51 cm) wide and have a 60-inch (150 cm) pitch. Seats can be reclined into a 170-degree angled flat bed with a length of 75 inches (190 cm).

Seats are equipped with a 10.4-inch (26 cm) personal entertainment system with audio and video on demand in the armrest, privacy canopy, massage function and laptop power ports. World Business Class seating is in a 2–2–2 abreast arrangement on all Airbus A330s.

In March 2013, KLM introduced a new World Business Class seat to the long-haul fleet. Dutch designer Hella Jongerius designed the new cabin. The diamond-type seat is manufactured by B/E Aerospace and is installed on all Boeing 747-400s and Boeing 777s.

The new seats are fully flat and offer 17-inch (43 cm)-high definition personal entertainment systems. When fully flat, the bed is about 2 metres (6.6 ft) long.

The cabin features a cradle-to-cradle carpet made from old uniforms woven in an intricate pattern, which is combined with new pillows and curtains with a similar design.

A completely new design of Business Class seat was introduced with the launch of KLM's Boeing 787; this aircraft's business class seats are based on the Zodiac Cirrus platform used by Air France.

The new seats lie fully flat, with a 1-2-1 layout so every passenger has direct aisle access, a large side-storage area and 16-inch (41 cm) HD video screen.

Dutch design group Viktor & Rolf has designed and provides amenity kits to World Business Class passengers. A new design will be introduced each year and the color of the kits will change every six months.

The kit contains socks, eye mask, toothbrush, toothpaste, earplugs and Viktor & Rolf lip balm.

Europe Business Class is KLM's and KLM Cityhopper's, short-haul business-class product. Europe Business Class seats are 17-inch (43 cm) wide and have an average pitch of 33 inches (84 cm). Middle seats in rows of three are blocked to increase passengers' personal space.

Europe Business Class seats feature extra legroom and recline further than regular Economy Class seats. In-seat power is available on all Boeing 737 aircraft. Europe Business Class has no personal entertainment.

Seating is arranged 3–3 abreast with the middle seat blocked on the Boeing 737 aircraft, and a 2–2 abreast arrangement on the Embraer 190 aircraft.

Economy Comfort is the premium economy product offered on all KLM and KLM Cityhopper flights. Economy Comfort seats on long-haul flights have 4 inches (10 cm) more pitch than Economy Class, a 35–36-inch (89–91 cm) pitch and recline up to 7 inches (18 cm); double the recline of Economy.

Economy Comfort seats on short-haul flights have 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) more pitch, totaling 33.5–34.5-inch (85–88 cm), and can recline up to 5 inches (13 cm) (40%) further. Except for the increased pitch and recline, seating and service in Economy Comfort is the same as in Economy Class.

Economy Comfort is located in a separate cabin before the Economy Class; passengers can exit the aircraft before Economy passengers.

Economy Comfort seats can be reserved by Economy Class passengers. The service is free for passengers with a full-fare ticket, for Flying Blue Platinum members and for Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Platinum or Diamond members.

Discounts apply for Flying Blue Silver or Gold members, SkyTeam Elite Plus members and Delta SkyMiles members.

The Economy Class seats on long-haul flights have a 31-to-32-inch (79–81 cm) pitch and are 17.5 inches (44 cm) wide. All seats are equipped with adjustable winged headrests, a 9-inch (23 cm) PTV with AVOD, and a personal handset satellite telephone that can be used with a credit card.

Economy Class seats in Airbus A330-300 aircraft are also equipped with in-seat power. The Economy Class seats on short-haul flights have a 30-to-31-inch (76–79 cm) pitch and are 17 inches (43 cm) wide. The Economy Class seats on short-haul flights do not feature any personal entertainment.

The long-haul Economy Class seating is in a 3–4–3 abreast arrangement on the Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, a 3-3-3 abreast arrangement on the Boeing 787-9 aircraft, and a 2–4–2 abreast arrangement on the Airbus A330 aircraft.

The short-haul Economy Class seating is in a 3–3 abreast arrangement on the Boeing 737 aircraft and a 2–2 abreast arrangement on the Embraer 175 and 190 aircraft.

KLM's in-flight entertainment system is available in all classes on all widebody aircraft; it provides all passengers with Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD).

The system includes interactive entertainment including movies, television programs, music, games, and language courses. About 80 movies including recent releases, classics and world cinema are available in several languages. The selection is changed every month.

The in-flight entertainment system can be used to send SMS text messages and emails to the ground. Panasonic's 3000i system is installed on all Boeing 747-400, Boeing 777-200ER, and on most of the Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

All Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and some Airbus A330-200 aircraft are fitted with the Panasonic eX2 in-flight entertainment system.

KLM provides a selection of international newspapers to its passengers on long-haul flights; on short-haul flights they are only offered to Europe Business Class passengers.

A selection of international magazines is available for World Business Class passengers on long-haul flights. All passengers are provided with KLM's in-flight magazine, the Holland Herald.

On board flights to China, South Korea and Japan, the airline offers in-flight magazines EuroSky (China and Japan), in either Chinese or Japanese, and Wings of Europe (South Korea) in Korean.

On 29 May 2013, KLM and Air France launched a pilot scheme to test in-flight Wi-Fi internet access. Each airline equipped one Boeing 777-300ER in its fleet with Wi-Fi, which passengers can use with their Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

Wireless service was available after the aircraft reached 20,000 feet (6,100 m) in altitude.

World Business Class passengers are served a three-course meal. Each year KLM partners with a leading Dutch chef to develop the dishes that are served on board.

Passengers in Europe Business Class are served either a cold meal, a hot main course, or a three-course meal depending on the duration of the flight. All chicken served in World and Europe Business Class meets the standards of the Dutch Beter Leven Keurmerk or Better Life Quality Mark.

KLM partnered with Dutch designer Marcel Wanders to design the tableware of World and European Business Class.

Economy Class passengers on long-haul flights are served a hot meal and a snack, and second hot meal or breakfast, depending on the duration of the flight.

On short-haul flights, passengers are served sandwiches or a choice of sweet or savory snack, depending on the duration and time of the day. If the flight is at least two hours long, stroopwafel cookies are served before descent.

Most alcoholic beverages are free of-charge for all passengers. After a successful trial period, KLM introduced à la carte meals in Economy Class on 14 September 2011; Dutch, Japanese, Italian, cold delicacies, and Indonesian meals are offered.

Special meals, include children's, vegetarian, medical, and religious meals, can be requested in each class up to 24 or 36 hours before departure.

On flights to India, China, South Korea, and Japan, KLM offers authentic Asian meals in all classes. Meals served on KLM flights departing from Amsterdam are provided by KLM Catering Services.

In September 2016, KLM launched world's first in-flight draft beer under the partnership with Heineken. The new service made its premiere this week aboard a flight to Curacao in the airline's World Business Class cabin.

Since the 1950s, KLM presents its World Business Class passengers with a Delft blue, miniature, traditional, Dutch house. These miniatures are reproductions of real Dutch houses and are filled with Dutch genever.

Initially the houses were filled with Bols liqueur, which in 1986 was changed for Bols young genever.

In 1952, KLM started to give the houses to its First Class passengers. With the elimination of First Class in 1993, the houses were handed out to all Business Class passengers.

The impetus for these houses was a rule aimed at curtailing a previously widespread practice of offering incentives to passengers by limiting the value of gifts given by airlines to 0.75 US cents.

KLM did not bill the Delft Blue houses as a gift, but as a last drink on the house, which was served in the house.

Every year, a new house is presented on 7 October, the anniversary of KLM's founding in 1919. The number on the last-presented house thus represents the number of years KLM has been in operation.

Special edition houses—the Dutch Royal Palace and the 17th century Cheese Weighing House De Waag in Gouda—are offered to special guests, such as VIPs and honeymoon couples.

KLM offers various check-in methods to its passengers, who can check in for their flights at self-service check-in kiosks at the airport, via the Internet, or via a mobile telephone or tablet.

At destinations where these facilities are not available, check-in is by an airline representative at the counter. Electronic boarding passes can be received on a mobile device while boarding passes can be printed at airport kiosks.

Since 4 July 2008 KLM, in cooperation with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, has been offering self-service baggage drop-off to its passengers. The project started with a trial that included one drop-off point. The number of these points has gradually increased.

As of 8 February 2012 there are 12 of them. KLM passengers can now drop off their bags themselves. Before they are allowed to do that they are being checked by a KLM employee.

In November 2012, KLM started a pilot scheme at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to test self-service boarding. Passengers boarded the aircraft without interference of a gate agent by scanning their boarding passes, which opened a gate.

KLM partner airline Air France ran the same pilot at its hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport. The pilot ran until March 2013, which was followed by an evaluation.

KLM is the first airline to offer self-service transfer kiosks on its European and intercontinental routes for passengers connecting through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The kiosks enable connecting passengers to view flight details of connecting flights, to change seat assignments or upgrade to a more comfortable seat.

When a passenger misses a connecting flight, details about alternative flights can be viewed on the kiosk and a new boarding pass can be printed.

Passengers who are entitled to coupons for a beverage, meal, the use of a telephone, or a travel discount can have these printed at the kiosk.

KLM has bus services for customers living in certain cities without flights from KLM, transporting them to airports where they may board KLM flights.

It operates buses from Nijmegen railway station and Arnhem Central Station in the Netherlands to Amsterdam Schiphol, and from Ottawa Railway Station to Montreal Dorval Airport in Canada.

In addition KLM has codeshares with Thalys and SNCF services so passengers from various French cities may travel to Charles de Gaulle Airport and passengers from Belgium may go to Schiphol from Antwerp or Charles de Gaulle from Brussels.

Air France-KLM's frequent flyer program, Flying Blue, awards miles based on the distance traveled, ticket fare and class of service. Other airlines that adopted the Flying Blue programme include Air Europa, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, Aircalin, and TAROM.

Miles can also be earned from all other SkyTeam partners. Membership in the program is free. Two types of miles can be earned within the Flying Blue program; Award Miles and Level Miles.

Award Miles can be exchanged for rewards and expire after 20 months without flying. Level Miles are used to determine membership level and remain valid until 31 December of each year.

Award Miles can be earned on Flying Blue partner airlines including Alaska Airlines, Air Corsica, Airlinair, Bangkok Airways, Chalair Aviation, Comair, Copa Airlines, Gol Transportes Aereos, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, TAAG Angola, Twin Jet, and Ukraine International Airlines, as well as SkyTeam partners.

Award Miles are redeemable for free tickets, upgrades to a more expensive seating class, extra baggage allowance, and lounge access. They can also be donated to charity through KLM AirCares, or can be spent in the Flying Blue Store.

The Flying Blue programme is divided into four tiers; Ivory, Silver (SkyTeam Elite), Gold (SkyTeam Elite Plus) and Platinum (SkyTeam Elite Plus).

The membership tier depends on the number of Level Miles earned and is recalculated each calendar year. Flying Blue privileges are additive by membership tier; higher tiers include all benefits listed for prior tiers.

There is an additional fifth tier, Platinum for Life, which can be obtained after 10 consecutive years of Platinum membership. After the Platinum for Life status is obtained, re-qualification is not required.

Level Miles can be earned with Air France, KLM, Air Europa, Kenya Airways, TAROM, and other SkyTeam partners.

The most notable accident involving a KLM aircraft was the 1977 Tenerife airport disaster, which led to 583 fatalities.

The Tenerife disaster, which occurred on 27 March 1977, remains the accident with the highest number of airliner passenger fatalities.

583 people died when a KLM Boeing 747-206B attempted to take off without clearance, and collided with a taxiing Pan Am 747-121 at Los Rodeos Airport on the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain.

No one on the KLM 747 survived while 61 of the 396 passengers and crew on the Pan Am aircraft survived. Pilot error from the KLM aircraft was the primary cause.

Owing to a communication misunderstanding, the KLM captain thought he had clearance for takeoff. Another cause was dense fog, meaning the KLM flight crew was unable to see the Pan Am aircraft on the runway until immediately prior to the collision.

The accident had a lasting influence on the industry, particularly in the area of communication. An increased emphasis was placed on using standardized phraseology in air traffic control (ATC) communication by both controllers and pilots alike, thereby reducing the chance for misunderstandings.

As part of these changes, the word "takeoff" was removed from general usage, and is only spoken by ATC when actually clearing an aircraft to take off.

On 24 April 1923, Fokker F.III H-NABS departed Lympne for Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The aircraft was not heard from again. It was presumed to have crashed into the sea, killing the pilot and both passengers.

On 25 June 1925, Fokker F.III H-NABM struck trees and crashed at Locquignol, France while flying too low in poor visibility, killing all four on board.

On 9 July 1926, Fokker F.VII H-NACC crashed in thick fog near Wolverthem, Belgium, killing both pilots.

On 22 August 1927, Fokker F.VIII H-NADU crashed near Sevenoaks, England. One crewmember was killed.

On 14 July 1928, Fokker F.III H-NABR crashed at Waalhaven after striking several ship masts after takeoff; one passenger drowned when the fuselage sank.

On 20 December 1934, KLM Douglas DC-2 PH-AJU "Uiver" crashed at Rutbah Wells, Iraq, killing all occupants. The aircraft had participated in the Mac Robertson Air Race in October 1934, and won the handicap division.

It was on its first flight after return from the race and was en route to the Netherlands East Indies carrying Christmas mail when it crashed.

On 6 April 1935, KLM Fokker F.XII PH-AFL "Leeuwerik" struck a mountain 15 km (9 mi) from Brilon, Germany after it encountered severe snow and thunderstorms, killing all seven on board.

On 14 July 1935, KLM Fokker F.XXII PH-AJQ "Kwikstaart" crashed and burned just outside Schiphol after both left side engines failed due to a defect in the fuel system, killing four crew and two passengers. Fourteen occupants survived.

On 20 July 1935, KLM Douglas DC-2 PH-AKG "Gaai" crashed near the San Bernardino Pass near Pian San Giacomo, killing all three crew and all 10 passengers.

On 9 December 1936, KLM Douglas DC-2 PH-AKL "Lijster" crashed into a house after taking off from Croydon Airport, London. The accident killed 15 of the 17 people on board the aircraft.

On 3 April 1937, KLM Douglas DC-3 PH-ALP "Pluvier" was being delivered to KLM when it struck Mount Baldy, Arizona, killing all eight on board.

On 28 July 1937, KLM Douglas DC-2 PH-ALF "Flamingo" crashed in a field near Beert, Belgium. The crash was caused by an in-flight fire and killed all 15 on board.

On 6 October 1937, KLM Douglas DC-3 PH-ALS "Specht" crashed on take-off from Talang Betoetoe Airport, killing three crew and one passenger; the co-pilot and seven passengers survived.

On 14 November 1938, KLM Douglas DC-3 PH-ARY "IJsvogel" struck the ground and crashed near Schiphol Airport for unknown reasons, killing six of 19 on board.

On 9 December 1938, KLM Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra PH-APE "Ekster" crashed on take-off from Schiphol Airport because of engine failure while on a training flight, killing the four crew.

On 10 June 1939, KLM Koolhoven F.K.43 "Krekel" stalled and crashed at Vlissingen, killing all three on board.

On 28 December 1941, KNILM Douglas DC-3 PK-ALN "Nandoe" (formerly KLM PH-ALN) was destroyed on the ground by Japanese fighters at Medan, North Sumatra, Dutch East Indies, killing all crew members and passengers.

On 1 June 1943, KLM Douglas DC-3 PH-ALI "Ibis", which had escaped the Dutch occupation and was operating under lease to BOAC, operating BOAC Flight 777, was shot down by eight German Junkers Ju 88 fighters over the Bay of Biscay while on the scheduled Lisbon-Bristol route.

All 13 passengers and four KLM crew perished. The aircraft had survived attacks in November 1942 and April 1943.

On 14 November 1946, a KLM Douglas C-47 crashed at Schiphol Airport during a failed landing in poor weather. All 21 passengers, including the Dutch writer Herman de Man, and the five crew were killed.

On 26 January 1947, KLM Douglas DC-3 PH-TCR crashed after take-off from Copenhagen, killing all 22 on board, including Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden.

On 20 October 1948, KLM Lockheed L-049 Constellation PH-TEN "Nijmegen" crashed near Prestwick, Scotland, killing all 40 aboard.

On 23 June 1949, KLM Lockheed L-749 Constellation PH-TER "Roermond", piloted by Hans Plesman—the son of CEO Albert Plesman—crashed into the sea off Bari, killing 33 occupants.

On 12 July 1949, KLM Lockheed L-749 Constellation PH-TDF "Franeker" crashed into a 674-foot (205 m) hill in Ghatkopar near Bombay, India, killing all 45 aboard. Thirteen of those killed were American news correspondents.

On 2 February 1950, KLM Douglas C-47A PH-TEU crashed in the North Sea 40 mi (64 km) off the Dutch coast due to an apparent in-flight fire, killing all seven on board. The aircraft was operating an Amsterdam-London passenger service.

On 22 March 1952, Flight 592, a Douglas DC-6 (PH-TBJ "Koningin Juliana") crashed at Frankfurt, killing 45 of the 47 occupants.

On 23 August 1954, Flight 608, a Douglas DC-6B (PH-DFO, "Willem Bontekoe") crashed between Shannon, Ireland, and Schiphol in the North Sea, 40 kilometres (25 mi) from IJmuiden for reasons unknown. All 21 passengers and crew died.

On 5 September 1954, Flight 633, a Lockheed Super Constellation, ditched in the River Shannon after takeoff from Shannon Airport. Twenty eight of the 56 people on board, 46 passengers and 10 crew were killed.

On 14 July 1957, Flight 844, a Lockheed Super Constellation, crashed in the sea near Biak, after takeoff from Mokmer Airport at Biak on its way to Manila.

The pilot made a low farewell pass over the island, but the aircraft lost altitude, crashed into the sea and exploded. Nine crew and 49 passengers died; there were 10 survivors.

On 14 August 1958, Flight 607-E, a Lockheed Super Constellation flying from Amsterdam to New York via Shannon, crashed into the ocean 180 kilometres (110 mi) off the coast of County Galway, Ireland, killing all 99 on board.

On 12 June 1961, Flight 823, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, crashed on approach to Cairo International Airport due to pilot error, killing 20 of 36 on board.

On 25 October 1968, KLM Aerocarto Douglas C-47A PH-DAA flew into Tafelberg Mountain, Suriname, following an engine failure while on a survey flight. The aircraft collided with the mountain in cloudy conditions, killing three of the five people on board.

On 26 October 1921, KLM Fokker F.III (H-NABL) crashed while on approach to Rotterdam from London. The aircraft landed in low visibility, struck the ground and crashed upside down.

The pilot, the sole occupant, survived and although the aircraft was written off, it was rebuilt and re-registered H-NABR and returned to service, but was destroyed in a 1928 crash.

On 17 July 1935, KLM DC-2 (PH-AKM, "Maraboe") crashed near Bushehr, Iran. All occupants were rescued.

On 2 June 1939, KLM DC-2 (PH-AKN, "Nachtegaal") crashed at Schiphol Airport during a single-engine training flight, killing one person on the ground; all four crew survived.

The aircraft was rebuilt and returned to service until it was destroyed in a German air raid on 10 May 1940.

On 10 May 1940, during the German invasion of the Netherlands, nine KLM aircraft - five DC-2's and four DC-3's were destroyed in a German air raid at Schiphol Airport by aircraft from KG 4.

On 15 November 1942, KLM DC-3 (PH-ALI, "Ibis"), which had escaped the Dutch occupation and was operating under lease to BOAC as G-AGBB, was attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter.

The aircraft was able to land in Lisbon where repairs were carried out. The port wing, engine nacelle and fuselage were damaged by cannon and machine gun fire.

On 19 April 1943, KLM DC-3 (PH-ALI, "Ibis") was attacked by six Bf 110 fighters. Captain Koene Dirk Parmentier evaded the attackers by dropping to 50 ft (15 m) above the ocean and then climbing steeply into the clouds.

The aircraft again sustained damage to the port aileron, shrapnel to the fuselage and a fuel tank. A new wingtip was flown to Lisbon to complete repairs. Despite these attacks, BOAC continued to fly the Lisbon–Whitchurch route. The aircraft was later destroyed in the crash of Flight 777-A.

On 6 November 1946, KLM Douglas DC-3 (PH-TBO) crashed near Shere on approach to Croydon Airport after a flight from Amsterdam. All 20 passengers and crew survived the accident.

On 27 December 1947, KLM C-47 (PH-TCV) crashed near Leeuwarden after the left wing struck a church steeple; the aircraft belly-landed and skidded across some ditches which broke off both propellers. All 15 on board survived.

On 16 June 1948, KLM Douglas DC-4 (PH-TCF, "Friesland") landed short of the runway, bounced and landed hard on the runway at Schiphol Airport due to pilot error. All 27 passengers and crew survived. The pilot had come in too low and too slow.

On 23 March 1952, KLM Lockheed Constellation (PH-TFF, "Venlo") suffered a propeller failure and subsequent engine fire during landing in Bangkok.

All 44 passengers and crew escaped shortly before the fire completely consumed the aircraft. A Thai ground crewman ran into the burning aircraft and returned with an infant who had been left behind.

On 1 January 1953, KLM C-54 (PH-TDL) force-landed in the desert 17 miles from Dhahran Airport due to fuel exhaustion after the crew diverted twice due to poor visibility. All 66 passengers and crew on board survived.

On 25 May 1953, KLM Convair 240 (PH-TEI, "Paulus Potter") lost altitude just after takeoff from Schiphol Airport. The aircraft belly-landed on the runway and slid off, crossed a road and came to rest in a field.

All 34 passengers and crew survived, however two people who were watching the aircraft died when the aircraft crossed the road.

On 11 June 1961, KLM Douglas DC-7C (PH-DSN) lost an engine at 17,000 feet over the Atlantic en route to Amsterdam from Windsor Locks; the aircraft landed safely at Prestwick with no casualties to the 81 passengers and crew on board.

On 25 November 1973, Flight 861 was hijacked over Iraq by Palestinian terrorists. The aircraft took off in Amsterdam and was bound for Tokyo. After several hours it made its final landing in Dubai.

The passengers were released earlier in Malta. Everyone survived the hijacking.

On 4 September 1976, Flight 366, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-33RC (PH-DNM) flying from Malaga to Amsterdam with an intermediate stop in Nice, was hijacked shortly after takeoff from Nice by Palestinian terrorists.

After aborted attempts to land in Tunis, the aircraft landed in Larnaca, Cyprus. After refueling, the hijackers attempted to reach Palestine before the aircraft was turned around by Israeli F4 Phantoms.

After returning to Cyprus, the passengers were released unharmed and the hijackers surrendered.

On 3 June 1983, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 (PH-DTE, "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart") was substantially damaged after landing at Panama City International Airport.

During landing, the aircraft veered off the runway into muddy ground. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane sustained damage. After repair the plane was put back into service.

On 15 December 1989, Flight 867 flew through a volcanic plume causing nearly US$80 million of damage to the brand-new Boeing 747-406M. The plane landed in Anchorage, Alaska, with no reported injuries or fatalities.

On 28 November 2004, Flight 1673, a Boeing 737-400 (PH-BTC), suffered a birdstrike upon rotation from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The aircraft continued onwards to Barcelona International Airport, where the nose gear collapsed. No injuries or casualties were reported. The aircraft was written off.

On 24 September 2017, a Boeing 777 leaving Kansai International Airport lost a 4 kg fuselage panel falling into the city of Osaka smashing a car window.

The aircraft landed safely at Amsterdam Airport, and no injuries or fatalities were reported.

PLEASE FLY WITH KLM



Tourism Observer

UNITED KINGDOM: IAG Buys New Aircraft For Its Low Cost Long-haul Airline Level

International Airlines Group is converting three Airbus A330-200 long-haul aircraft options into firm orders for Level, its new low cost long-haul airline brand which started operations in early June.

The aircraft will be delivered in summer 2018 and will facilitate Level’s expansion.

Willie Walsh, IAG chief executive, said: “Level has already been incredibly successful and these aircraft will enable it to expand.

“Long-haul flights are now available to many people for the first time and we’re extremely pleased with the customer response in all of Level’s markets.

“It will continue to stimulate demand by providing people with more choice.”

These modern, fuel efficient aircraft will bring both cost efficiencies and environmental benefits to Level.

International Consolidated Airlines Group, S.A., often shortened to IAG, is an Anglo-Spanish multinational airline holding company with its operational headquarters in London, England and its registered office in Madrid, Spain.

It was formed in January 2011 after a merger agreement between British Airways and Iberia, the flag carrier airlines of the United Kingdom and Spain respectively.

As British Airways was the larger company, those holding shares in British Airways at the time of the merger were given 55% of the shares in the new, merged company. British Airways and Iberia ceased to be independent companies and instead became 100% owned subsidiaries of IAG.

It is the sixth-largest airline company in the world, producing €22.567 billion revenue in 2016.The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Madrid Stock Exchange. It is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index and IBEX 35 Index.

British Airways and Iberia signed a preliminary merger agreement in November 2009.In April 2010, British Airways and Iberia signed a full merger agreement, with an intended completion date of late 2010, subject to securing the necessary regulatory approvals.

The merger between British Airways and Iberia was completed on 21 January 2011, and shares in the new holding company IAG and began trading in London and Madrid on 24 January.

In March 2011, IAG agreed to purchase eight Airbus A330-300 aircraft and to take options on eight more, to be used for Iberia's longhaul fleet.

On 6 October 2011, IAG created Iberia Express, a new low-cost airline to operate short and medium-haul routes from IAG's Madrid hub and provide transfer feed onto Iberia's longhaul network.

Iberia Express began operations on 25 March 2012.

On 4 November 2011, IAG agreed in principle to acquire British Midland International (BMI) from Lufthansa for an undisclosed sum, in a deal which would increase IAG's share of slots at Heathrow airport from 45% to 54%.

On 22 December 2011, IAG agreed a binding deal with Lufthansa to acquire BMI for £172.5 million.On 30 March 2012, the purchase of BMI was approved, subject to the condition that the combined group divest itself of 12 daily slots and lease two daily slots at Heathrow airport.

The acquisition was completed on 20 April 2012, and the BMI fleet and routes were integrated into the British Airways schedule throughout 2012.

On 8 November 2012 International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) made a cash tender offer to buy Vueling, the Spanish low-cost airline based in Barcelona.

The offer, was €7 per ordinary share of Vueling with the total cost of acquiring the shares anticipated to be €113m. It was funded from internal IAG resources.

The reported total assets of Vueling as of 30 September 2012 were €805m and in the nine months to 30 September 2012 it generated profits before tax of €59m.

An increased offer of €9.25 was accepted by the Vueling board on 9 April 2013 and received majority shareholder approval on 23 April 2013. IAG took control of Vueling on 26 April 2013.In December 2012, IAG completed the merger of the cargo operations of British Airways, BMI and Iberia into a single business unit, IAG Cargo.

In April 2013, IAG confirmed the conversion of options to acquire 18 Boeing 787 Dreamliners into firm orders, in a deal worth around US$4.5 billion.

The aircraft are planned to replace some of the British Airways fleet of Boeing 747s between 2017 and 2021. On 16 October 2013, Iberia unveiled a new livery used from the end of November 2013.

At the Farnborough Airshow 2014, IAG converted the options for 20 Airbus A320neo aircraft into firm orders which are currently intended to replace 21 shorthaul British Airways aircraft.

In January 2015, IAG made an bid of £1 billion for Aer Lingus. This was expected to be accepted, after the rejection of two prior bids. In May 2015, the Irish government agreed to sell its stake in Aer Lingus to IAG, as did the Aer Lingus board in late January 2015.The takeover became irreversible on the 18 August 2015.

On 1 March 2015 Stephen Kavanagh was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Aer Lingus, and executive director of the Aer Lingus Board.

In October 2015 Rachel Izzard was appointed chief financial officer of Aer Lingus, and also appointed to the Aer Lingus Board of Directors,prior to joining Aer Lingus, Rachel Izzard was Chief Financial Officer at IAG Cargo.

In November, 2015 Alex Cruz was named Executive Chairman of British Airways. Steve Gunning was appointed chief financial officer of British Airways.

In April 2016, it was announced that Qatar Airways increased its shareholding of IAG from 9.99% to close to 12%.In May 2016, Qatar Airways increased its shareholding to 15.01%.

In March 2017 it was announced that a new low cost longhaul airline named LEVEL was to start operating from Barcelona in June 2017.

IAG's operational headquarters, which controls the management of both its British and Spanish subsidiaries, are at the Waterside building in Harmondsworth, London.

IAG is incorporated in Spain as a Sociedad Anonima, where the company board meetings are held, and is domiciled in Spain for tax purposes.

IAG has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and has been a FTSE 100 constituent since 24 January 2011.It has secondary listings on the Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia stock exchanges, and has been a constituent of the IBEX 35 index since 1 April 2011.

Qatar Airways is a minority shareholder, and held 20.01% of the shares on 29 July 2016.

Divisions, subsidiaries and franchises

The structure of the main operating companies is:

- Republic of Ireland Aer Lingus

- Republic of Ireland Aer Lingus Regional (franchise)

- United Kingdom British Airways

- United Kingdom BA CityFlyer

- France OpenSkies

- South Africa Comair (18% stake)

- Denmark SUN-AIR (franchise)

- Spain United Kingdom IAG Cargo (merger between Iberia Cargo and British Airways World Cargo)

- Spain Iberia

- Spain Air Nostrum (franchise, trading as Iberia Regional)

- Spain Iberia Express

- Spain LEVEL

- Spain Vueling

- Avios Group (operates the IAG frequent-flyer programme)

By 2012 it was reported that British Airways profits had been wiped out by Iberia losses, placing the Spanish airline in a fight for its survival. IAG workers in Madrid reported they believed Iberia to be the junior partner in IAG citing deep concern for the airline.

By 2013 Iberia had lost a billion euros leaving IAG chief executive, Willie Walsh to defend the British Airways-Iberia merger.

In May of the same year, Iberia had suffered further losses and IAG's balance sheet was now in deep deficit as Iberia fought low-cost competition and a deep recession.

Willie Walsh admitted that perhaps British Airways should have postponed the IAG merger, saying, If I’d known the Spanish economy was going to deteriorate to the scale that it did, we may have delayed the decision but ultimately I believe the merger is the right thing

Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL operate under their separate brand names.

As of 17 January 2014, IAG had a total of 464 aircraft with 150 aircraft on order and in excess of 110 options.

The most popular type operated is the Airbus A320 series, with a combined fleet of 226 aircraft.

For details of the current aircraft operated by the group, see the fleet details for each of the main operating subsidiaries - Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Vueling.

The entire company serves around 200 destinations. For a list of destinations, refer to the respective lists of destinations of different IAG subsidiaries.

IAG operates the Avios frequent-flyer programme, which was known as Air Miles until 16 November 2011. Avios points are the frequent flyer currency of Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, LEVEL and Flybe,and can also be used for travel within the Oneworld alliance.

A restructure in 2015 meant that all of IAG's affiliated loyalty programmes which use Avios, including Avios Travel Reward Programme, Iberia Plus and British Airways Executive Club were transferred to Avios Group, an IAG subsidiary.

BRAZIL: LATAM Airlines Group To Grow To 420 Destinations Worldwide

The LATAM Airlines Group network will grow to include over 420 destinations worldwide

LATAM Airlines Group strengthens relationships with oneworld partners via two new joint business agreements, one with American airlines and another with IAG (British Airways and Iberia)

· These agreements will bring benefits for LATAM passengers include access to a network over 420 destinations, more flight options with better connection times, more competitive fares to destinations not served by LATAM, increased potential to developing new routes and adding more direct flights to new destinations as well as to destinations already served by LATAM.

· The agreements will benefit South America, improving the continent’s connectivity and boosting tourism as well as business travel.

· Both agreements are subject to regulatory approval in different countries which could take approximately 12-18 months.

Santiago, Chile - January 14, 2016 – LATAM Airlines Group (“LATAM”) announced today that it has applied for two separate joint business agreements: one with American Airlines (NASDAQ AAL) and another with International Airlines Group (IAG) for its airlines British Airways and Iberia. These agreements strengthen relationship of LATAM Airlines Group and other oneworld members, which respond to a global industry tendency.

The agreements will be gradually implemented and will include important benefits for clients of LATAM and its affiliates including:

1. Access to a network of over 420 destinations for LATAM (Europe, United States and Canada, and South America):

· More than 200 destinations served by American Airlines will connect to South America through more than 90 flights between North American and South America operated by American Airlines and LATAM.

· 87 destinations served by IAG (British Airways and Iberia) will connect to South America through 45 daily flights between South America and Europe operated by IAG and LATAM.

2. More flights and better connections with:

· 2,500 daily American Airlines flights within the United States and Canada

· More than 900 daily British Airways and Iberia flights within Europe

3. Increased seat availability and more competitive prices to destinations not operated by LATAM :

· More flight options and better connections to destinations that are not served by LATAM and its affiliates and more competitive fares.

4. Increased potential of adding new routes and direct flights to new destinations as well as flights already operated by LATAM and affiliates in the future.

5. Clients will have better options to change flights in all the routes included in the agreement

· All flights included in the 2 agreements will be available to attend clients’ needs, such as reservation changes.

All these new services and options will be also available for LATAM frequent flyer programs (LANPASS and TAM Fidelidade) members.

UNITED KINGDOM: Vueling Airlines Announces New Routes From Manchester Airport

Vueling will operate flights to Alicante on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday

Spanish low cost airline Vueling will offer direct services to Alicante and Rome from June next year.

Vueling Airlines has announced it will launch two new routes from Manchester Airport for summer 2016.

Part of International Airlines Group (IAG), Vueling will offer direct services to Alicante and Rome from June next year.

The Spanish low cost airline will operate three flights a week to Alicante and two flights a week to Rome in addition to their existing service to Barcelona, which started in June this year.

Flights to Alicante will operate on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday with flights to Rome on Friday and Monday.

The routes will be operated by an Airbus A320, with capacity for 180 passengers.

Ken O’Toole, managing director for Manchester Airport, said: “We’re delighted that Vueling Airlines has chosen to expand its route network from Manchester Airport.

“Alicante and Rome are popular destinations with our 22.9 million passengers and these additional services reinforce our status as the UK’s Global Gateway for the North of England.”

Gabriel Schmilovich, network planning, scheduling and slots manager at Vueling, said: “We are very pleased to announce the new routes to Rome and Alicante. With these additions, Vueling passengers from Manchester will have the opportunity to fly to more than 140 destinations across Europe connecting via our hubs in Barcelona and Rome Fiumicino.”