IRELAND: Ryanair Cancels More Than 2,500 Flights Due To Air Traffic Control Staff Shortages In UK, Germany And Greece Then Strikes In France

Ryanair has warned jobs could be lost as it cuts the number of planes stationed in some of the countries where it faces strike action.

It made the threat as first-quarter profit slumped by a fifth amid rising oil prices and employment costs, including a 20% pay increase for pilots.

The Irish low-cost carrier said profit fell 20% to €319m (£284.8m) in the first three months of its financial year to 30 June, compared to a profit of €397m in the same period a year earlier.

Ryanair, which was forced to recognise unions in December for the first time in its 32-year history, is facing strikes in many of the countries it operates in over pay and conditions.

Over 300 flights have been cancelled from its daily schedule of 2,400 on Wednesday and Thursday.

While we continue to actively engage with pilot and cabin crew unions across Europe, we expect further strikes over the peak summer period as we are not prepared to concede to unreasonable demands that will compromise either our low fares or our highly efficient model, the company said.

Ryanair said if these unnecessary strikes continue to damage customer confidence and forward prices/yields in certain country markets then we will have to review our winter schedule, which may lead to fleet reductions at disrupted bases and job losses in markets where competitor employees are interfering in our negotiations with our people and their unions.

We cannot allow our customers flights to be unnecessarily disrupted by a tiny minority of pilots.

First quarter staff costs increased by 34% primarily due to pilot 20% pay increases, 9% more flight hours and a 3% general pay increase for non-flight staff, the airline said in a statement.

It has also been forced to cancel more than 2,500 flights due to air traffic control staff shortages in the UK, Germany and Greece and strikes in France, which added to its costs, the company said.

Ryanair said Fuel prices have risen substantially from $50pbl per barrel at this time last year to almost $80pbl in Q1. While we are 90% hedged at $58pbl our unhedged balance will see our full year fuel bill increase by at least €430m.

Ryanair's stock fell more than 5% in early trading as it warned average fares would lower than expected during the summer due to increased competition and strikes. They ended the day down nearly 7%.

Holidaymakers are facing a third day of travel misery at Stansted Airport after storms grounded flights earlier this week.

Thousands have been hit with flight cancellations and delays so far.

The disruption is set to continue, with frustrated passengers this morning complaining of long queues and cancellations on social media.

A spokeswoman for Ryanair said there is a very small number of delays and cancellations on Sunday as a knock-on effect from extreme weather and disruptions arising from air-traffic control staff shortages in the UK, France and Germany.

Thunderstorms across Europe forced the budget airline to cancel flights at the London travel hub on Friday night and into Saturday.

It came as thousands of holidaymakers suffered travel disruption over the extreme weather, with long delays for ferries and cross-Channel trains.

Temporary flight restrictions were put in place during the storms across Europe on Friday sparking delays at Stansted.

Luton Airport and Gatwick Airport on Saturday also warned of delays and cancellations due to thunderstorms in Europe, advising passengers to contact their airline for travel information.

Mr Calder said passengers travelling to and from Stansted with Ryanair have been the worst hit.

Ryanair cancelled about 50 flights on Saturday, and gradually the number of cancellations has been increasing on Sunday morning.

Pictures shared on Twitter showed long queues to check in for Ryanair flights at Stansted this morning.

One traveller claimed there were 200 people in a queue to rearrange cancelled bookings.

In a statement, Ryanair said - Our UK operation is running well today.

There is a very small number of delays and cancellations as a knock-on effect from the extreme weather disruptions on Friday and the disruptions arising from ATC staff shortages in the UK, France and Germany.

Brits heading for summer getaways by rail and ferry also faced major disruption on Friday and Saturday,.

People were left waiting for several hours to check in at the Eurotunnel at Folkestone amid extreme weather conditions.

The cross-Channel rail operator blamed recent severe weather conditions for the delays.

It said the service is running as scheduled with up to four departures an hour on Sunday.

Meanwhile, there was heavy traffic around the Port of Dover on Saturday as families headed for the Continent by ferry.

Passengers were told to expect long queues on the roads into the port, with a minimum two-hour wait to get through border checks.

P&O ferries advised its customers to take plenty of drinks, snacks and entertainment for the wait.

A spokesman for Stansted said the airport has been operational as normal today with no air traffic flow restrictions at the airport.


Tourism Observer

EGYPT: Egypt Tourism Expected To Rise This Year

Tourism in Egypt, which has received severe blows in the past few years because of terrorist attacks inside the country and regional political turbulences, is expected to get back on its feet this year and is expected to receive more than 7 million tourists a year, a top official in Egyptian tourism sector said.

Hisham Al Demery, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board, said that tourism has been hit not only in Egypt but across the several regional countries due to the Arab Spring, which erupted first in 2011 in Tunisia and spread to many countries, including Egypt.

That period of political instability was accompanied by several terrorist attacks that badly hit tourism in a region that greatly depends on tourism for income.

“Thanks God, we have done very good efforts in 2016. We started dealing with the crisis and the tourism folder with a more organised manner. Our main focus was to improve the image people abroad have about Egypt in their minds,” Demery said.

On the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market Demery said the results of the fourth quarter of 2016 were very promising.

“The average number of tourists we receive in Egypt ranges between 7 and 10 million tourists a year. The highest record we had was in 2010, when we hit 14.3 million tourists. God willing, we will record this year a number of tourists ranging between 8 and 10 million people”.

The percentage of direct and indirect share of tourism in Egypt’s Gross National Product (GNP) is estimated at 12 per cent, Demery said. Tourism is considered a vital economic sources for Egypt.

Commenting on the efforts to improve the image of Egypt for tourism, Demery explained that Egyptian government has launched in 2015 a 3-year campaign with the total value of $66 million — at the rate of $22 million a year — to promote Egypt across the world.

Egypt efforts comprised of two elements, a public-relations campaign, which includes inviting celebrities and media people to Egypt to spread “positive news abroad” on behalf of Egyptian tourism authority and the advertising campaign itself.

In 2016, nearly 5.3 million tourists visited Egypt. Two million of them were from Arab countries and most of the rest were from other parts of the world, namely UK, Germany, Italy and Russia.

While the European market is the most important in terms of size, the Arab market is the most important to Egyptian tourism for many reasons, including the similarities in culture, norms, family bonds and many similarities.

“Arab visit Egypt around the year” Demery said. The duration of stay for Arab tourists are by far longer than other tourists from other countries. Also, the Arab tourists are among the top spenders in Egypt.

“once again, we don’t deal with Arab tourists as customers, but rather as people in their second home,” said Demery, explaining that Egyptian authorities are taking several steps to facilitate the visa arrangements for tourists from GCC and other promising markets, including India.

Egypt, the tourism official explained, enjoys several unique aspects ranging from serene beaches to unmatchable pharaonic antiquities, “however, we can’t downgrade others’ abilities”.

Yet, “a tourist experience in Egypt is a very unique and can’t be found in anywhere in the world,” concluded Demery.

UNITED KINGDOM: Third Runway For Heathrow Airport

British Government has officially backed London/Heathrow’s proposal for increasing runway capacity in the southeast of England.

Announcing its decision in a written statement on October 25, the Department for Transport said building a third runway at the airport – the first full length runway in the south-east since World War Two – would deliver “a major boost for the UK economy.”

It added: “It will bring economic benefits to passengers and the wider economy worth up to £61 billion. Up to 77,000 additional local jobs are expected to be created over the next 14 years and the airport has committed to create 5,000 new apprenticeships over the same period.”

SOUTH AFRICA: Lufthansa Flying From Frankfurt To Cape Town Direct - 2 December 2016,

Lufthansa is expanding operations in South Africa, adding a non-stop route from Cape Town to Frankfurt - the airline has announced.

Dr André Schulz, Lufthansa General Manager for Southern Africa, speaking at a media briefing in Cape Town, says the city will now boast services to both Lufthansa Hubs, Munich & Frankfurt.

The new route will start 2 December 2016, with the long-term view to make the route permanent, according to Schulz, complimenting the year-round daily flights from Johannesburg. Added to this, Edelweiss the Swiss Leisure carrier is expected to continue seasonal flights to Zurich.

Flights will depart from Frankfurt every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday - with bookings available immediately for these flights from Friday, 27 May 2016, either through the Lufthansa website or through travel agents.

Tourist arrivals to South Africa in 2016 are already on the up and up as the department of tourism just announced an 18.7%, with Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom cautioning that Easter in March would have had an impact - but the seasonal flights increases will bode well for tourism as a whole.

According to the latest StatSA figures released for the first quarter of 2016, 36 759 visitors from Germany came to SA in for the first quarter, while a comparison between movements in March 2015 and March 2016 shows that the number of tourists increased for seven of the ten leading overseas markets into the country - these being China, Belgium, USA, UK, India, France and Germany.

'Night service to off best possible options to access connections'

Schulz says the flight will operate as a night service with Lufthansa choosing the departure and arrival times carefully to offer travellers the "Best possible options to access connections to the entire Lufthansa route network.”

Flight LH576 leaves Lufthansa's Frankfurt hub at 22:10 and arrives in Cape Town the following morning at 11:00. The return journey departs from Cape Town in the early evening at 18:30 and touches down in Frankfurt the following morning at 05:30, where passengers can access Lufthansa’s entire flight program from its main hub. In total, the Lufthansa Group serves 316 destinations in 101 countries from its hubs in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Lufthansa currently operates a year-round daily flight between Frankfurt and Johannesburg with the Boeing 747-8, the next generation of the iconic Jumbo jet, the longest passenger aircraft in the world. In addition, Swiss International Airlines serves Johannesburg from its Zurich base, offering a daily service with an Airbus A340-300.

“After Johannesburg, Cape Town is one of the most important markets for the Lufthansa Group in Southern Africa and the new gateway will offer our customers access to some 200 destinations from the Frankfurt hub. It also unlocks new tourism opportunities for those coming in from Germany by offering attractive combination options to other destinations in Southern Africa through our Star Alliance partners," says Schulz.

The Cape Town route will be served by a newly retrofitted Airbus A340-300, which boasts over 279 seats and offers the new Intercontinental Business Class (30), new Premium Economy (28) Class and Economy Class (221).

“South Africa remains one of our most important markets in sub-Saharan Africa and a key destination for German as well as other European visitors. We are thrilled to continue building bridges between the Lufthansa Group and the South African tourist industry, says Claus Becker, Director of Sales, sub Saharan Africa.

Added to this, Lufthansa said it would be looking to have a competitive outbound offering for South Africa headed to Frankfurt. "Germany’s central position in Europe makes it an excellent point of departure for business or leisure trips, from the largest Star Alliance hub in Europe,” he added.

In addition to the new SA flight route, the airline is looking to added capacity to its current three flights in Nairobi, Kenya increasing it to four flights a week from 1 September 2016.

Earlier in May, Lufthansa's low-cost carrier EuroWings also launched non-stop flight to the popular holiday destination of Mauritius. Eurowings, which was launched in the beginning of March 2015, will offer year round service from Cologne to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport during the European Summer and Winter Seasons. With the arrival of Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss in October, Lufthansa will serve Mauritius with four brands from Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Locally, the Western Cape area’s tourism industry is ecstatic about Lufthansa’s additional frequencies into the region.

“This new Lufthansa route will have a positive impact on business and tourism in the Cape,” says Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape.

“Germany is a priority market as our third-largest source of foreign direct investment, and the third biggest buyer of our products outside of Africa." Cape Town Air Access, a division of Wesgro says it is "actively working on making the direct Frankfurt - Cape Town route a success through publicity, market awareness, and networking opportunities".

“German tourist arrivals are growing rapidly, so we are very pleased that Lufthansa added Frankfurt to their existing seasonal direct daily Munich service. With this additional capacity we expect that Cape Town International Airport will easily reach the 10 million passenger milestone this year”.

Another recent addition as part of the direct route access to Cape Town includes British Airways' direct flights between Cape Town and Gatwick, set to start 24 November. Added to this British Airways has added two more flights to its already expanded Cape Town summer schedule, bringing the number of summer flights between Cape Town International and Heathrow Airport to 19 per week.

Deon Cloete, the General Manager of Cape Town International Airport, also welcomed the announcement. “This additional service from Lufthansa is not only good news for the airport or the region, but particularly for those who need a directly flight to Frankfurt. We value the partnership and the ongoing commitment Lufthansa has made in growing their service and thereby providing connectivity to the rest of the world. This is a huge vote of confidence in our city and we look forward to the continued partnership.”

Flight schedule (all times are local times;winter time) for FRA - CPT 3 times a week

- Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, from 02.12.2016

- LH576: FRA 22:10 – 11:00 +1 CPT
- LH577: CPT 18:30 – 05:30 +1 FRA


Flight duration: (on average) 11 hours 50 minutes

Distance: 9 401 km (5 076 nautical miles)

Aircraft type: Airbus A340-300 (30 Business Class; 28 Premium Economy; 221 Economy Class)

VIETNAM: China Leads Arrivals But Australians Lead In Spending

AUSTRALIANS are the top spenders in Vietnam's growing tourism market, each outlaying more than $2200 a trip, according to an official report.

IN its first annual assessment of its $US15 billion ($A20.85 billion) tourism industry, Vietnam's National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) reported 7.9 million international tourist arrivals in 2014.

Australians accounted for 321,089 arrivals - the ninth largest in a market led by China (1.95 million visitors) and South Korea (847,958).

But Chinese visitors on average stayed less than a week with average spending of just $US790 ($A1,098) a trip.

Australians each spent $US1,677 ($A2,331) per trip, followed by Germany ($US1,367) and the United Kingdom ($US1,348).

The annual tourism report, sponsored by the European Union, compared Vietnam with Thailand and Malaysia, and called for improvements to Vietnam's tourism service and air transport infrastructure to match its regional rivals.

Vietnam's Tourism Minister Hoang Tuan Anh told the National Assembly on Tuesday the tourism industry had recovered, buoyed by increased foreign tourism arrivals in recent months.

Vietnam's tourism industry has been pressing the government to further ease visa requirements to boost the outlook.

Earlier this year the country amended its visa requirements for travellers coming from the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Australians still require a visa but the government is expected to grant visa-free access for Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians for a 15-day period starting from July 1, 2016.