QATAR: Qatar Airways Heads To Cardiff

The first Qatar Airways flight between Doha and Cardiff, Wales has been officially inaugurated after the aircraft touched down. The aircraft was welcomed by a celebratory water cannon salute followed by greetings from the Mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan, Janice Charles.

This route is important to the Cardiff economy as it will connect the airport to more than 150 destinations across the world.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, was joined by the Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns, The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, the UK Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Ajay Sharma as well as the Chairman of Cardiff Airport, Roger Lewis on the inaugural flight.

To celebrate this new route link, Qatar flew a one-off A350-900 service under the QR323 flight number to celebrate the first time that a commercial A350-900, whose wings are built by Airbus in Wales, had landed on Welsh soil.

However, on the normal QR323 service, it will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which will have a two-class configuration featuring 22 seats in Business Class with a 1-2-1 configuration followed by 232 seats in Economy.

However, on the normal QR323 service, it will be operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which will have a two-class configuration featuring 22 seats in Business Class with a 1-2-1 configuration followed by 232 seats in Economy.

Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said:

Today marks an especially important milestone for both Qatar Airways and Cardiff Airport. The new service, our fifth gateway into the U.K., now provides the people of Wales and the South West with an extensive network of more than 150 destinations globally.

We are delighted to welcome Cardiff into our route network and to be able to provide the Welsh people with a new gateway to the world. We look forward to welcoming our new Welsh passengers on board and to connecting them to Doha and many points beyond.

Secretary of State for Wales, Cairns, stated:

The first direct flight from Cardiff to Qatar plugs Wales straight into an area of massive investment and an airport with 150 onward destinations around the world. This is the fast track for Welsh companies doing business in the Gulf.

Today’s announcement is the culmination of months of Government activity in public and behind the scenes. The ambition for a daily flight was on the agenda when I met Qatar Airways Chief Executive H.E. Akbar Al Baker more than a year ago at a UK investment summit.

The UK Government has continued to press that case supported by the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, the Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence.

The UK Government Qatari trade mission last September was all about growing links and unlocking the region for Welsh exports. Qatar is the UK’s third largest export market in the Middle East and accounts for £35 billion of existing investment.

Passengers disembarking from the first direct flight from Doha to Cardiff will get the unmistakable message that Wales is open for business.

First Minister of Wales, Jones, shared:

I am delighted to welcome the first Qatar Airways flight from Doha to our capital city, Cardiff. The new direct service between Cardiff and Doha is a huge boost for Wales.

It will open up Wales’ links with the rest of the world and deliver new economic, leisure and travel opportunities for Welsh businesses and the people of Wales.

Providing a direct route into the world’s fastest-growing hub airport, Hamad International Airport will also bring Wales closer to leading global markets such as India, China, Singapore and Australasia.

Chairman of Cardiff Airport, Lewis, commented:

This is a pivotal moment for Cardiff Airport, for Wales and the South West of England. The far-reaching consequences of this service for passengers and businesses will be transformational. I sincerely thank H.E. Mr Akbar Al Baker, for the trust he and Qatar Airways are placing in us.

I am confident that the team at Cardiff Airport will deliver a world-class service with Qatar Airways for all of our passengers both visiting Wales and those traveling across the world.

The critically important relationship between Qatar, Wales and the United Kingdom is substantially strengthened today.

The launch of the new route to Cardiff is Qatar Airways’ first-ever service to Wales, providing passengers enhanced connectivity to the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, with seamless connections to Sydney, Hong Kong, China, Melbourne and many more attractive business and leisure destinations.

Services to London Gatwick, another key entry point for Qatar Airways is due to begin from May 22nd, which will host two route additions in the UK in a single month, highlighting the rapid expansive growth in the airline’s UK network.

These new additions are a part of rapid expansion plans put forward by Akbar. Qatar Airways this year, for example, will be the first Gulf carrier to begin direct services to Luxembourg, which will be yet another niche route that they operate.

The carrier is also going to be operating out of Estonia, Malta, Malaysia, Vietnam, Turkey, Greece and other areas of Spain over the course of 2018.

The aircraft in question, A7-ALU, is one of Qatar’s newest A350’s, aged at just over a month old and has been in the airline’s hand for a space of a week when it was delivered towards the end of April.

By showcasing this aircraft in Wales, it shows that with the new aircraft being so new, it highlights the elements of being proud of having the A350 in their fleet, especially in Akbar’s perspective.

By then using the 787 could have been seen as quite a tactical ploy to keep both parties happy. However, if the Cardiff service was to become more popular, it would not be a surprise if we saw the A350-900 once more over there.

With the likes of Qatar Airways and Emirates launching routes into the more niche areas, it begs the question of whether this is a new strategy taken out by the Middle Eastern carriers.

Emirates is launching a new service to London Stansted, bearing in mind they already have significant operations out of Birmingham, Manchester, London Gatwick and Heathrow already.

This could potentially be because of the fact that most of the Middle Eastern carrier has most corners of the world already covered and that adding frequencies will not provide them with the growth that they actually want.

By operating to the less dense and busy airports, it gives these airlines the chance to have a further growth spurt and cover every area as best as possible.

Collectively, this isn’t just a strategy taken out by Qatar or Emirates.

I believe that going into the future, we are going to see the rise of the smaller airports, such as Cardiff, Liverpool and Newcastle to name a few and I think that these airports are going to be the solution to the overcapacity that those in the UK are currently experiencing.

With the Heathrow expansion not set to be completed for at least another five to ten years, it does beg the question into whether these carriers will need the extra capacity out of the main airports in the years to come.


Tourism Observer

SPAIN: New Model Airline Volotea Is New Member Of IATA

Volotea, the airline of mid- and small‐sized European cities is a new member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Representing some 280 airlines or 83 percent of total air traffic, IATA is the trade association for the world’s airlines.

It supports many areas of aviation activity and helps formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

We are pleased to become an IATA member, as this global association leads the innovation, safety and value creation in the airline industry, supporting the highest industry standards, said Carlos Munoz, Volotea’s founder and CEO.

The airline is expected to benefit from IATA’s know how and resources covering all fields of the industry, including analysis of regulations, development of standards, innovation in distribution, improvements on safety procedures, updates and training for aviation industry professionals, as well as cost reduction.

Volotea is a new model airline with a clever and bold approach, creating demand and connectivity by establishing innovative routes.

We are thrilled to welcome Volotea to the IATA family and to help them grow and excel in this highly competitive European market, said IATA Regional Vice President for Europe Rafael Schvartzman.

Volotea has carried 15 million passengers since its first flight in 2012, and over 4.8 million in 2017 alone.

Since the beginning of 2018, Volotea has launched 58 new flights to serve a lineup of 293 routes.

It currently operates flights to 78 mid- and small-sized European cities in 13 countries including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.

The airline is expected to carry 5.7-6 million passengers in 2018.

Its fleet consists of 32 aircraft, Boeing 717s and Airbus A319s.

Volotea currently operates from twelve bases: Venice, Nantes, Bordeaux, Palermo, Strasbourg, Asturias, Verona, Toulouse, Genoa, Bilbao, Marseille that opened on April 19 and Athens, which launched on May 3.

Volotea is a Spanish low-cost airline registered in Asturias, Spain with bases in Spain, Italy, France and Greece.

Volotea was established by Alaeo S.L. from Barcelona, a company created by former Vueling founders, Carlos Munoz and Lazaro Ros.

The name Volotea originates from the Spanish verb revolotear, meaning to fly around.

It commenced operations on 5 April 2012, from Venice Marco Polo Airport.

The company is backed by three private equity funds, two of them from Europe - Axis Participaciones Empresariales and Corpfin Capital and a third from the United States - CCMP Capital, whose chairman, Greg Brenneman, was one-time President and COO of America's Continental Airlines,and also chairs Volotea's board.

The company raised over €50m before operations began.

Boeing announced on 15 February 2012 that it had signed a long-term lease deal with Volotea for an undisclosed number of Boeing 717 aircraft.

In March 2015, it was announced that Volotea will receive a further four 717s from Blue1.

However, in November 2015, Volotea announced plans to phase out their 717 fleet over the next few years and replace it with Airbus A320 family aircraft.

As of January 2018, the Volotea fleet consists of the following aircraft:

Airbus A319-100 - 11

Boeing 717-200 - 17

Total - 28

Orders

Airbus A319-100 - 4


Tourism Observer

CANADA: Air Transat To Start Toronto And Montreal To Athens Flights

Air Transat, Canada’s leading leisure airline, this season has increased capacity from Athens by 14 percent in comparison to last year, making over 43,800 seats available to Canada until October.

Flights connecting Athens to Toronto and Montreal for the 2018 peak spring/summer season launched recently and are available through the GDS.

The Athens market has high demand and Canadians know what the Greek capital is all about, that it is a wonderful destination, Gilles Martin, Air Transat Director Sales and Distribution, said.

Air Transat is interested in increasing flights between the two countries in the future.

During a recent event in Athens organized by the airline’s general sales agent (GSA) in Greece, Gold Star Aviation, Martin gave a full presentation of the airline to a group of Greek travel agencies.

Air Transat recently launched its seasonal service from Athens to Toronto and Montreal for the 2018 peak spring/summer season with up to six direct flights per week.

3 flights per week to Montreal every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and three flights per week to Toronto every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Connecting flights from Athens to Vancouver and Calgary are available every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

The airline’s flight program from Athens to Toronto and Montreal will run until October.

Despite the popularity of the Greece-Canada link via Air Transat, according to Martin, the issue of establishing all year round flights are not included in the company’s future plans at the moment.

Although there is demand from the ethnic market in Canada, it is not enough to operate flights during the winter, he said, adding that if and when the time comes.

Air Transat would reconsider operating the service also from November until April.

Michael Flerianos, the general manager of Gold Star Aviation, echoed this statement.

Establishing a year round service between Greece and Canada is something that we are concerned about and have discussed, but it must be profitable.

The demand of the Greek community in Canada is not enough to keep the line running in the winter. Canadians in the winter season do not travel to Europe but prefer the warm waters of the Caribbean, Flerianos said.

Moreover, Air Transat this season is promoting domestic travel in Canada from Greece as it offers the possibility of stopover to three Canadian cities for bookings through the GDS.

The offer gives passengers from Athens the opportunity to travel to Toronto and Montreal and also fly to three Canadian cities at no extra cost.

This offer is expected to create a new trend, especially to young travelers from Greece who want to experience the journey and explore Canada, Flerianos said.

In addition, during the presentation, Greek travel agents were informed that Air Transat is planning fleet upgrades.

The company’s fleet for winter 2018 will include 6 Airbus A310, 18 Airbus A330 and 23 Boeing 737 aircraft.

In May 2019, the newer A321neo LR will be introduced.

Based in Montreal, Air Transat flies to some 60 destinations in the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, offers domestic and feeder flights within Canada and carries nearly 4.5 million passengers every year.


Tourism Observer

EUROPE: Chinese Air Travel Shoots Up, Europe Gains A Great Deal

Europe is set to benefit from increasing Chinese air travel with extra flights and more capacity for 2018.

The continent will see a boom in capacity on flights from China, according to the latest figures from travel pattern analyst ForwardKeys.

It reports that nine new routes and one resumed route will start during the first half of 2018, and a further three are in the pipeline.

At least four China-Europe routes are already planned for the second half of this year.

This follows an expansion in Chinese flights to the US and Australia over the past two years.

ForwardKeys predicts future travel patterns by analysing 17 million booking transactions a day.

According to its statistics, by June there will be an extra 30 flights a week from China to Europe and, based on an estimation of 200 seats per flight.

This means 6,000 more seats will be available for Europe-bound Chinese travellers.

Excluding Russia, the average total number of seats available each week last summer was 150,000.

In March alone new flights include:

- Twice weekly from Shenzhen to Madrid by Hainan Airlines.

- Resumption of three times weekly flights from Shenyang to Frankfurt by Lufthansa.

- Twice weekly from, Shenzhen to Brussels by Hainan Airlines in March 2018.

Finland is benefiting from a strong Asia strategy on the part of Finnair, which announced the opening of its seventh direct Chinese route in May 2018.

Spain, the UK and Ireland are seeing a mix of increased tourism alongside healthy Chinese business investment.

This growth will be building on an already strong start to the year.

Europe had a 10% market share of the outbound Chinese market and saw a 7.4% increase in Chinese travellers during January and February this year.

Turkey recovery after terrorist attacks increased by 108.2%, and Greece by 55.7%, compared to the same period last year.

Travel in the opposite direction is also set to increase.

Flight bookings to China, in the coming six months, from the rest of the world, are 11.8% ahead of this time last year.

Bookings from Americas, which is responsible for 25% of travel to China, are currently 24% ahead of last year.

The EU-China Tourism Year was launched in Venice in January, heralded as the largest-ever official EU-wide initiative to grow Chinese tourism across Europe.

ForwardKeys chief executive and co-founder, Olivier Jager, said It seems that the EU-China Tourism Year is having a positive impact on travel in both directions.

The Chinese have been growing in confidence for international travel for some time now and that trend is being reciprocated.

Europe clearly has a lot to gain from this increased capacity because the Chinese are ready to spend money on luxury goods while on holiday, providing good opportunities for European retailers.


Tourism Observer

SAUDI ARABIA: Flynas To Buy Wide body Jets, Expand To Far East, West And Africa

Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier Flynas plans to operate wide-body aircraft for the first time in its 10-year history as part of a network expansion strategy that could see the airline service long-haul destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Europe and Africa, its group chief executive said.

The airline is to commence talks with plane manufacturers Boeing and Airbus within the next two months with a view to placing a sizeable order for either Boeing 777s or Airbus A330s, plus Airbus’ long-range A321-ER neo, Bander Almohanna told The National on Monday.

We are starting now to study long-range A321-ER neos and wide-body jets, we’ll either go with A330 or B777, Mr Almohanna said.

We will launch in the next couple of months a campaign for wide-body jets, targeting destinations that cannot be reached by the existing equipment or fleet.

So this would be mainly the Far East – Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur –the far West, and Africa.

If a deal is reached, it is expected to be for a similar number of aircraft as Flynas’ order placed at the end of 2016 for 120 A320neos, which is due for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2018 and 2026 and intended to replace its outdated fleet of 30 aircraft, predominantly A320s.

We always think big, Mr Almohanna said at the ATM travel conference in Dubai.

Operating wide-body aircraft would be a wholly new strategy for the low-cost carrier as it seeks to grow its network in line with the kingdom’s plans to develop its nascent tourism sector.

The market size of Saudi Arabia is more than the airline so we are not competing with the national carrier Saudia, we are complementing it by trying to reach markets not served well by any Saudi airline, and to get people to come direct instead of through connecting traffic, Mr Almohanna said.

The discussions with Airbus and Boeing is a new project, he said, but our whole strategy is to get aligned with Vision 2030, which sets a target to attract 15 million pilgrims by 2020, and 30 million by 2030.

Those pilgrims will not be able to come in a convenient way without having an airline like Flynas pushing a strategy, frankly, to have wide-body aircraft and long-range 777-ER Max or the A321neo.

Pilgrims are only one segment of Flynas’ target market, he said.

Boeing’s under-development mid-size jet is another option.

Flynas, which is partly owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding, forecasts 10 per cent earnings growth this year after a flat 2016/17 due to sluggish conditions in the regional economy and the wider aviation industry, according to Mr Almohanna.

He said the market is starting to pick up.

The airline is targeting an increase in passenger numbers to 7.5 million in 2018 from 6.4 million in 2017, helped by an anticipated 5 per cent rise in Umrah and Haj pilgrims to the kingdom this year.

This summer it will launch five new destinations – Tbilisi in Georgia, Baku in Azebaijan, Vienna in Austria, Athens in Greece and Trabzon in Turkey. Flights will commence for sale this week.

To facilitate the network expansion, the carrier is in discussions with Airbus to fast-track a portion of its A320neo order, Mr Almohanna said.

He plans to add five new aircraft to Flynas’ fleet this year, including two A320s and three Boeing 737s.

We are negotiating with Airbus to advance more than what the slot has given to us, he said. “

We are also in talks with other lessors to maybe swap their slot with ours to accelerate the planned replacement and support our growth strategy.

Mr Almohanna declined to comment on the planned initial public offering of around 30 per cent of the company, reportedly targeted for early 2019.

The plans are still on the table, he said. Flynas was reported in February to have appointed Citigroup to advise on a potential IPO, alongside Morgan Stanley and NCB Capital.


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

UAE: Etihad Airways Looking For Pilots In Europe To Fly Airbus And Boeing Fleets

Etihad Airways has embarked on a major recruitment drive to hire additional crew, as it fleet expands.

The UAE’s national carrier said it is looking for pilots in Europe to join both its Airbus and Boeing fleets, with new aircraft expected to arrive between this year and 2025. The main focus of the talent search is to fill posts for First Officers.

Recruiters for the airline were scheduled to be in Europe on Sunday, November 13. They started in Romania and were expected to be in Bulgaria today, Tuesday. They will then make stops in Hungary, Lithuania, Greece, Poland, Belgium and Portugal.

Etihad had earlier announced it would freeze the hiring of non-operational staff, as currency fluctuations, economic uncertainty and market competition are putting pressure on yields. Recruitment of pilots, cabin crew and engineers, however, will continue.

The airline has a range of aircraft including Airbus 330s, 380s, Boeing 777s and B787s, and expects new A380 deliveries next year.

RUSSIA: Russian Tourism Improves In 2016

Mediterranean destinations and Southeast Asia attracted this year more Russian tourists after the problems in Turkey and Egypt, according to the Director of Russian Tour Operators Association (ATOR) Maya Lomidze.

She revealed that the first data on Russians' holidays abroad this summer indicate an increased demand throughout the entire season for Mediterranean destinations such as Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy along with a slight increase for Croatia and Montenegro.

Southeast Asia made a comeback in the top ten popular destinations after two years of weak demand. Another important finding is the increased demand for Tunisia this year, at a rate of over 200% compared with last year, positioning the destination among the top-3.

Ms. Lomidze added that Russians seek more affordable accommodation and flights this year with the average package cost ranging around $600.

Nevertheless, they are still among the most generous tourists with the average spending per trip reaching as high as 500 euros.

IRAN: Foreign Tourists Spend Billions In Iran

Masoud Soltanifar, head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said that some five million foreign tourists visited Iran last year, spending at least 7.5 billion dollars.

"Currently, the country's income from tourism industry accounts for half a percent of the global revenue," Soltanifar said, adding that the government seeks to increase the figure to two percent by 2025, IRNA reported.

The senior official, who is also a deputy to the Iranian president, noted that Iran ranks 47th on the list of countries with highest tourist number, saying that given its tourist destinations, the country needs to attract some 20 million foreign visitors by 2025.

A New York Times report last month said tour operators in America have been speaking of a surge in bookings by many Americans who, undeterred by a State Department warning about travel risks to Iran, are keen on visiting the country.

Iranian officials said that the country's tourism sector aims to attract $30 billion by 2025.

Iran hosts some of the world's oldest cultural monuments, including 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and its varied terrain ranges from desert locales to ski resorts.

Iran tourism, however, reportedly suffers some deficiencies such as shortage of enough hotels and some financial restrictions for foreign money transfers.

Officials say hotel groups from Germany, Greece, South Korea and Singapore traveled to Iran last year for talks on hotel construction.

Europe's largest hotel group Accor has already built two four-star hotels at Imam Khomeini International Airport outside the capital, Tehran.

Also, the UAE-based Rotana plans to open a five-star 600-room hotel in Tehran and another in the city of Mashhad, which attracts millions of pilgrims each year.

Bathrooms Make Air Travel Hard For Passengers With Disabilities

Californians Barbara Ball and her husband have travelled extensively: Greece, France, Italy, the Bahamas and all over the United States, to name a few.

She feels fortunate to have visited so many places before a blood clot in her right leg led to its amputation five years ago.

Ball now has a prosthetic but spent a few months in a wheelchair during rehab. So it struck a chord when she heard about her friend's brother, a double amputee in a wheelchair living in South Carolina, who can't take a domestic flight top visit because he can't access the onboard bathrooms.

She wondered if disabled-accessibility rules weren't the same in the air as they are on the ground.

It's a good question.

Disabled accessibility on airplanes in the United States is not covered by the Disabilities Act, and there the Air Carrier Access Act, written 30 years ago, has limitations.

Washington resident Malcolm Cumming cares for his wife, Deborah Livesey, who has multiple sclerosis and has been in a wheelchair for two decades.

It was just two years ago that he accidentally broke his wife's arm trying to get her into a lavatory that was not disabled accessible during a flight to San Antonio.

Accessible lavatories are required only on aircraft with more than one aisle, but not on smaller aircraft used for domestic flights.

America's Department of Transportation reasoned that the larger aircraft are used for longer flights and transport the greatest number of people, so it is more likely a disabled passenger will need an accessible lavatory, said department spokeswoman Caitlin Harvey.

But Cumming said most domestic flights, even across the country, are in single-aisle aircraft and can last the better part of a day, depending on the number of stops. Furthermore, wheelchair users are the first ones on and the last ones off, adding about another hour to the onboard time.

It's unrealistic and unfair to expect a disabled passenger to refrain from using the rest room for that long, Cumming said.

Wheelchair user Barry Smith has been on flights lasting more than eight hours to Washington, DC, and 13 hours to Alaska; nearly all of them were on single-aisle aircraft.

Smith suffered a spinal cord injury from a diving accident as a teenager. He uses a catheter but said he could not access the lavatories if he needed to.

Smith is the executive director of the Disability Resource Agency for Independent Living in Modesto. He's helped clients prepare for air travel by sharing some of his experiences.

An onboard or aisle wheelchair is needed to board the plane because standard wheelchairs are too big to fit through the doors, down the aisle or in the bathrooms.

Smith describes such a chair as essentially a refrigerator dolly with a seat. The wheels are on the bottom so it cannot be operated by the person with the disability. Instead, the chair is pushed or pulled backward down the aisle by an airline employee after the passenger is strapped in like "a NASCAR driver," Smith said.

He said employees need to be better trained to operate the chair and help the person with the disability get into a seat. Smith's feet have dragged on the ground, he's bumped into things and he's been dropped on the chair's armrest.

He said he's never tried getting into a lavatory with the onboard wheelchair but can't imagine being able to fit in most circumstances.

Cumming said Livesey is not medically required to use a catheter and shouldn't be required to do so just to get on an airplane.

"Someone should not be forced to get a catheter to go on holiday," Cumming said. "The Air Carrier Access Act was not based on the idea that people would use catheters or dehydrate themselves or wear diapers (to get through the flight)," Cumming said. "That is not treating people equally."

Unlike disabled-accessible bathrooms in buildings, which must have a diameter of at least 60 inches, airplane lavatories do not have to meet specific dimension requirements.

Rather, the "lavatory shall permit a qualified individual with a disability to enter, manoeuvre within as necessary to use all lavatory facilities and leave, by means of the aircraft's on-board wheelchair," according to the act. They must also be equipped with grab bars and a call button.

"The language at the very beginning falls apart because the wheelchair cannot be operated by the person with the disability, only pushed by someone else," Cumming said.

Airline staff members are responsible for transporting a disabled passenger to and from the lavatory, but the passenger is on his or her own once inside.

Department of Transportation regulations do not require the accessible lavatory to be large enough to accommodate an attendant to help the person with the disability, Harvey said.

"If we could get into it, (Livesey) would be just facing a toilet she could not get to," Cumming said. "I would have to reach over the chair holding her out with my arms like a forklift. The bathrooms needs the space for an attendant."

More frustrating, Cumming said, airlines slap wheelchair-accessible signs on lavatories because they have grab bars in them, which actually serve only to narrow the space for the people who need help into a bathroom.

The lavatory on the flight to San Antonio had the symbol on the door, so he thought it would be safe to help Livesey in by holding her under her arms and pulling her in backward.

"With my arms wrapped under hers as I eased her in, the narrow entrance crimped her elbows inward until her arm bone cracked just below her shoulder," Cumming wrote in an article for the online news site Airlines Reporter.

The experience hasn't deterred the couple from travelling, but the lavatory layout is always a concern.

"If you are flying domestically, you are going to be in the world of single-aisle airplanes, and there is nothing to accommodate the fully disabled or nonambulatory person," Cumming said.

The Department of Transportation has recently announced its intention to establish a committee to negotiate proposed amendments to disability regulations, Harvey said. The committee will consider three issues, including whether to require an accessible lavatory on single-aisle aircraft over a certain size.

"The department has done so in recognition of the fact that a higher percentage of long-distance flights are now being conducted by single-aisle aircraft," Harvey said.

But what about New Zealand?

On its website Air New Zealand has a section dedicated to passengers who need "special assistance".

"We understand that the carriage of people with disabilities can present unique challenges for both passengers and staff.

"As a result we will make every effort to provide a consistently safe and dignified travel experience."

It goes on to state that staff are trained to assist those with disabilities, and airport and aircraft have "environments that facilitate appropriate levels of access", though it does not mention whether aircraft have disabled toilets.

The airline's Boeing 777, 767 and International Airbus A320 aircraft have onboard wheelchairs, so passenger can be taken to their seats or the toilet. But the chairs are available only for international flights, not domestic flights due to "limitations of space".

LIkewise, Jetstar says it provides assistance to passengers needing wheelchairs. However, on its website it states that those passengers must be able about to travel independently.

Advice for flying as a disabled person, from people with experience:

Call ahead to ask whether the airplane will have accessible lavatories. Cumming said airline employees can tell you "yes" or "no," but can't describe the type of barthroom or tell you how much room it will have.

Book flights on double-aisle planes, if possible, or prepare for longer flights by getting one with several stop-overs. It will make your travel longer but provide more opportunity to get off the plane and use bathrooms at the airport.

Remember that airline staff members will transport you via the aisle chair to the lavatory but will not assist within the lavatory. "Since you must be able to stand and walk, (but if taking) a few steps is difficult, you're better off choosing a seat near a lavatory rather than going through the humiliating hassle of being strapped into an aisle chair," Cumming said.

Always get the travel insurance. Cumming recommends this not just for disabled passengers but for everyone. He and his wife had travel insurance when she broke her arm on the way to San Antonio. It paid for a nurse to accompany them back Washington on the plane to assist with her medical needs.

Take all valuables off your wheelchair. Wheelchairs are stowed in the cargo area and can slide around and break. It's happened twice to Smith, who said he always takes off the electric hand controls (the most expensive part) and removes his seat pad to use on the plane to avoid getting pressure sores.

TUI Realizes Deep Fall In Holidays To Turkey,Tunisia And Egypt .

TUI Group, the world’s largest tour operator, reported a 40 percent drop in bookings to Turkey this summer due to safety concerns and said it was investing in Cape Verde and Bulgaria as alternatives to security-threatened North Africa.

Turkey is especially popular with German tourists, but has seen demand slump after a suicide bomber killed 10 Germans in a busy Istanbul square in January.

Russians have been told to stay away by Moscow following the shooting down of a military jet last year.

Turkey has since offered jet fuel subsidies in a bid to stimulate tourism demand.

TUI Chief Executive Fritz Joussen said that around 14 percent of its customers had travelled to Turkey last summer but it expects to send only 1 million tourists there this year, compared with just under 2 million in a usual year.

In addition, the Zika outbreak in the Americas is also troubling the travel industry, although Joussen said demand for the Caribbean was booming and that he expected only a small hit.

TUI has already seen a sharp fall in holidays to Tunisia and Egypt this winter.

But tourists shifting to Spain, in particular the Canary Islands, and Greece, prompted TUI to confirm its forecast for underlying earnings to rise by at least 10 percent on a constant currency basis.

“The Canaries is pretty much booked out,” said Joussen, who is now sole chief executive after co-CEO Peter Long stepped down at Tuesday’s annual general meeting.

Hotel unit Riu was able to increase prices by 13 percent in the first quarter of the current financial year, mainly since the increased demand in the Canaries meant it did not have to offer discounts on last-minute bookings.

But with a package holiday in a five-star hotel in Tunisia costing about the same as for a two-star hotel in the Canaries, TUI is looking for new destinations. Joussen said Bulgaria was comparable to Tunisia price-wise, while the group was also building hotels in Cape Verde.

“We are creating alternatives, but in the long term we believe demand will come back,” Joussen said, adding that he expected demand for Turkey to recover quickly.

TUI reported a first-quarter underlying loss before interest, tax and amortisation (EBITA) of 101.7 million euros ($114 million), against a loss of 104.8 million one year ago. Travel companies typically report a loss in the first quarter.

It also took a 42 million euro hit from a writedown of its stake in shipper Hapag-Lloyd after a drop in its share price.

Its shares dropped 3 percent after Barclays cut its earnings per share target.

TURKEY: Fastest Growing Airport In Europe - Sabiha Gokcen International Airport

Passenger traffic in Europe grew by an average +5.2% in 2015, according to Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE).

Amongst Top 30 European Airports, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) in Istanbul recorded the fastest growth in passenger numbers, with a 19.7% growth Y-o-Y.

At EU airports, the average increase in passenger traffic was +5.6% with airports in Ireland, Portugal, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Lithuania achieving double-digit growth.

Meanwhile, non-EU airports reported diminished growth of +3.9%. This was mainly due to a significant decline in demand for air travel across Russian and Ukrainian airports, as well as almost flat growth in Norway – despite a stellar increase in passenger traffic in Iceland and sustained growth at most Turkish airports.

Freight traffic at Europe’s airports only grew by +0.7%, as international trade remained subdued. Aircraft movements saw an increase of +2.2%.

ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec said:

“2015 has been a very good year in terms of passenger traffic, with European airports welcoming an estimated 1,95 billion passengers. 20% of them achieved a double-digit increase and many broke new traffic records – mostly fueled by the continued growth of low cost airlines and selected non-EU airlines.”

“EU airports generally performed extremely well, despite Germany and France being impacted by airline & ATC strikes and the Paris terror attacks.”

“Remarkably, Istanbul-Atatürk airport became the 3rd busiest European airport with 61,8 million passengers, after London-Heathrow (74,9 million) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (65,7 million). It should be noted however that small regional airports* across the continent underperformed the European average, with their passenger volume only increasing by +3,8%.”

“This is indicative of traffic growth becoming more concentrated and less inclusive.”

Commenting on the air traffic recovery since the global financial crisis, Jankovec added:

“While the EU economy did not even grow by +3% between 2008 and 2015, passenger traffic at EU airports increased by +13,6% over the same period. Such a wide gap is pointing to a lasting discontinuity in the usual relationship between GDP growth and passenger traffic performance.”

“This is reflective of new market dynamics, changing consumer behaviours and the increased importance of air transport for the European economy.”

Over the full year, airports welcoming more than 25 million passengers per year (Group 1), airports welcoming between 10 and 25 million passengers (Group 2), airports welcoming between 5 and 10 million passengers (Group 3) and airports welcoming less than 5 million passengers per year (Group 4) reported an average adjustment +3.7%, +6.3%, +7.1% and +5.5%.

GROUP 1 Airports: Madrid-Barajas (+12.0%), Istanbul IST (+9.1%), Amsterdam (+6.0%), London LGW and Barcelona El-Prat (+5.7%) and Rome FCO (+5.0%)

GROUP 2 Airports: Istanbul SAW (19.7%), Athens (+19.1%), Dublin (+15.3%), London STN (+12.8%) and Izmir (+12.1%)

GROUP 3 Airports: Milan BGY (+18.6%), Gothenburg GOT (+18.1%), Berlin SXF (+16.9%), Porto (+16.7%) and Glasgow (+12.9%)

GROUP 4 Airports: Ohrid (+53.3%), Ponta Delgada (+29.5%), Astrakhan (+26.1%), Santorini/Thira (+87.6%), Cluj and Timisoara (+25.8%)

Among the airports in the Top 5, several airports will now move to a higher traffic category for 2016.

BELIGUIM: Brussels Airlines Adds Thessaloniki Service In S16

brussels airlines in summer 2016 season is adding new seasonal service to Greece, as it launches 2 weekly Brussels – Thessaloniki operation. This seasonal operation will begin from 01MAY16, with Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft.

SN3231 BRU0640 – 1030SKG 320 7
SN3231 BRU0915 – 1305SKG 319 4

SN3232 SKG1120 – 1325BRU 320 7
SN3232 SKG1355 – 1600BRU 319 4

Note certain dates on Day 7 operates with Airbus A319 instead of A320.

MACEDONIA: Migrants Go On Hunger Strike At Greek-Macedonian Border

Fears over who may be among the migrants soared after what appeared to be a Syrian passport was found by the body of a man who blew himself up during the Paris attacks; it is not clear if the passport is genuine, but it was carried by someone who arrived in the European Union through Greece and Balkan states in October.

Dariush Yazdani, 25, from Tehran, said he was determined to reach Germany and faced imprisonment were he to return to Iran.

The Macedonian government is reported to have received written notice from Croatia and been informed by telephone by Serbia that Zagreb and Belgrade will send back migrants who do not come from conflict zones.

Slovenia - the next country in the chain - also said it has been turning back economic migrants.

Cyprus Foreign Ministry official Homer Mavrommatis said that the 53 include those who intend to file an asylum claim as well as others who don't pose a security risk.

Serbian Labor Minister Aleksandar Vulin on Thursday blamed both Slovenia and Croatia for the ban on migrants fleeing poverty rather than war. Slovenia later Thursday said it will allow those migrants to proceed toward Austria.

President Gjorge Ivanov said on Friday that there is no cooperation between the Macedonian and the Greek services regarding the border situation, urging for a change. "UNHCR does not think that there is any nation that can be excluded from global protection based on their nationalities, but each case individually should be screened and processed based on the merits of the case".

Hundreds of protesting migrants whom Macedonia refuses to let in because it does not consider them legitimate asylum-seekers are blocking a railway line at the Greek-Macedonian border. A further 2,500 people are waiting in a camp set up nearby to provide shelter for those heading north through the Balkans.

A group of Iranians, blocked from entering Macedonia from Greece by barbed wire and rows of police, erected a banner on Sunday announcing a hunger strike. Migrants believe that Macedonia too should do the same and provide them with undisturbed passage to the country's northern border.

"We have to protect our country".

TURKEY: Another Drowned Kid Found On Turkish Beach

Refugees pray on a highway In Turkey

A four-year-old Syrian girl's body has washed up on a beach in western Turkey, state media says, just weeks after images of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi shook the world.

The yet-to-be identified girl was found lifeless on a beach in the Aegean town of Cesme in Izmir province after a boat carrying 15 Syrians to the Greek island of Chios sank.

It said the Turkish coast guard rescued the remaining 14 Syrians, including eight children, from the inflatable boat. The girl appeared to be the only casualty.

Harrowing pictures of three-year-old Syrian asylum seeker Aylan, whose body was found washed up on a Turkish beach after the boat carrying his family to the Greek island of Kos sank, caused an outpouring of emotion around the world.

The response pressured European leaders to step up their response to the migrant crisis.

But two weeks later EU members are still at odds over how to accommodate the tens of thousands of new arrivals.

Turkish deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Friday the Turkish coast guard had rescued over 53,000 asylum seekers from stricken boats since the beginning of the year.

He said around 274 asylum seekers had lost their lives in Turkish waters this year seeking to leave the country by sea for Greece.

In another recent tragedy, 22 people who had left Turkey drowned on Tuesday when their wooden boat sank off Kos.

Asylum seekers have in recent days turned to Turkey's land borders with Greece and Bulgaria to avoid the sea voyage that has cost over 2,600 people their lives in the Mediterranean this year.

Several hundred asylum seekers spent a third day camped in and around the Turkish border city of Edirne, which lies 10 kilometres from the Greek border and is being promoted on social media as a safer route out of Turkey than sea journey in overcrowded dinghies.

Under an "open-door" policy championed by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has taken in 2.2 million Syrian asylum seekers since the conflict in Syria erupted in 2011.

Mr Kurtulmus said Turkey has so far spent almost $11 billion (6 billion euros) to provide for Syrian refugees.

International Organisation of Immigration says a record 473,887 asylum seekers crossed into Europe

A record 473,887 asylum seekers have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year, the International Organisation for Migration said on Friday, including at least 182,000 Syrians — almost 40 per cent of the total.

The total represents an increase of almost 9,000 from the total the Geneva-based agency gave on Tuesday. But the rate of increase has slowed.

On Tuesday, the IOM said the number of crossings had jumped by more than 32,000 since the previous Friday.

The EU's Eurostat statistics agency said the EU received 213,000 asylum applications from April to June this year, a jump of 85 per cent from the same period in 2014, with over one third coming from Syria or Afghanistan.

It said Germany had the highest number of new applicants, with more than a third of the total for the EU, while Hungary was the country that received the most asylum applications relative to its population size.

Applications from Kosovo, regarded as a "safe" country by most of the EU, dropped sharply in the period, from the top berth with 50,000 requests in the first quarter to just over 10,000 one quarter later.

Across the EU almost 600,000 applications were pending at the end of June, Eurostat said, with 52 per cent of those being processed in Germany.

The European Union must know that Croatia will not become a migrant 'hotspot'. We have hearts, but we also have head.Croatia's prime minister, Zoran Milanovi

Croatia said it cannot and would not accept the burden of thousands of asylum seekers any longer, nor register or accommodate them.

Faced with an influx of more than 13,000 migrants in just over two days, prime minister Zoran Milanovic said on Friday he had called a session of Croatia's National Security Council and that it was time to deal with the problem in a different way

"We cannot register and accommodate these people any longer," he told a news conference.

"They will get food, water and medical help, and then they can move on. The European Union must know that Croatia will not become a migrant 'hotspot'. We have hearts, but we also have heads."

In response, Slovenia accused Croatia on of breaking the rules of the EU and the Schengen zone of border-free travel.

Interior ministry state secretary Bostjan Sefic said Slovenia expected around 1,000 asylum seekers to cross from Croatia in the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Dutch prosecutors said on Friday they had arrested two Syrians suspected of operating a large people-smuggling ring that brought hundreds of Syrian refugees into Europe.

Following a year-long investigation, Dutch authorities arrested a 35-year-old Syrian man living in the southern city of Eindhoven as well as his 26-year-old cousin.

Europol, Europe's police agency, is tracking as many as 30,000 suspected people smugglers who are taking advantage of large flows into the continent of asylum seekers escaping conflict in the Middle East and Africa.
Vatican takes in first Syrian refugee family

Responding to a call from Pope Francis for every Church parish to house refugees, the Vatican City said on Friday it had taken in a family that had fled the war in Syria.

The family — a father, mother and their two children — came from Damascus and are Melkite Greek Catholics, a Christian church with close ties to the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican said in a statement the family, which was not named, arrived in Italy on September 6, the day Pope Francis made his appeal for European parishes to open their doors to refugees. The four Syrians have since asked for asylum.
Journey in search of a better life

In a special report, ABC correspondents Mary Gearin, Barbara Miller and Sophie McNeill follow some asylum seekers on their long path through Europe.

"According to the law, for the first six months following the request for asylum those seeking international protection cannot work," the Vatican said.

"During this time, they will be helped and accompanied by the Parish of Santa Anna."

The Vatican City, a micro state which sits in the heart of Rome, contains two parishes — Santa Anna and St. Peter's Basilica.

The Vatican said it could not yet provide any information about a second family that is expected to be housed by the St Peter's administration.

Some parishioners have been openly hostile to the idea of welcoming in Muslims.

Monks in a village in Slovakia had to withdraw an offer to house Christian Syrian refugees after locals baulked at the idea.

The vast majority of Syrians are Muslims, but its small Christian community is one of the oldest in the world, making up an estimated 10 per cent of the population before the outbreak of the Syrian unrest in 2011.

According to its website, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church had some 150,000 members in Damascus in 2010. It is not clear how many have stayed in the city.

FINLAND: Finnair To Fly To Four New European Destinations In 2016

The airline Finnair will launch next year four new routes from Helsinki to northern Europe or East And it will convert into eight routes previously operated scheduled flights only charter flights.

As of April 4, 2016, the national carrier of Finland will offer a daily flight between the airport of Helsinki-Vantaa and Billund, operated by Embraer 170 seats 76 by ​​its subsidiary Nordic Regional Airlines (eg Flybe Nordic). Departures are scheduled at 8:05 (8:55 arrival) or 4:10 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (arrival 17:00) are return flights leaving Denmark respectively at 12:10 (2:55 p.m. arrival) and at 20:10 (10:55 p.m. arrival). No competition on this route for Finnair, already poses five times a day in Copenhagen.

As of April 18 and throughout the summer season, the airline alliance will offer three and four weekly rotations between its capital and Edinburgh, operated by Airbus A319 of 138 seats again without competition. Departures Monday and Thursday are scheduled at 8:30 am (arrival 9:10), the one on Wednesday at 17:20 (arrival 18.00) and the Sunday at 16:30 (arrival 5:10 p.m.) Return flights will leave Scotland Monday and Thursday at 9:50 am (14:40 arrival), Wednesday at 18:40 (arriving 23:30) and Sundays at 18:15 (23:05 arrival). This road will allow "our Asian customers excellent opportunities to travel to Scotland on their travels in the UK, Scotland and connect the broad Asian network of Finnair, which has 13 airports."

From June 1 to August 27, Finnair will offer three flights a week between Helsinki and Svalbard, Longyearbyen airport accepting regular flights over the north of the planet. The E190 100 seats of its subsidiary will take off on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday 23:45 (arrival the next day at 1:55), and will leave the Norwegian archipelago Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 2:45 (6:45 arrival). Only SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Norwegian offer low cost scheduled flights to Svalbard.

Finally significantly further south, Finnair will offer from June 20 to August 12 two flights a week between Helsinki and Pula starts Monday at 7:45 (9:40 arrival) and Friday at 5:35 p.m. (arrival 7:30 p.m.) and return of Croatia respectively at 10:30 am (2:25 p.m. arrival ) and 8:25 p.m. (0:20 arrival). No competition there either for the company that already serves Dubrovnik and Split.

Finnair will convert to the other regular flights from the month of May 2016 eight routes to Greece, Italy and Bulgaria previously offered only as charter flights in almost every case with one flight per week in A319, A320 or A321: these flies to Preveza (two flights a week), Rimini, Mytilini, Santorini, Skiathos, Varna, Verona and Zakynthos.