POLAND: LOT Polish Airlines Announced Warsaw To Miami Nonstop Flights From June 1, 2019

LOT Polish Airlines has announced the launch of Miami-Warsaw nonstop passenger service scheduled for June 1, 2019, giving Miami International Airport the only nonstop route between Florida and Eastern Europe, as well as the airport’s first-ever service to Poland.

Warsaw will further expand Miami International Airport’s current network of twenty European destinations, while Miami will join LOT’s five other nonstop destinations in North America.

LOT Polish Airlines is an exciting addition to MIA’s growing roster of international carriers, said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.

This new connection to Eastern Europe will go a long way toward expanding MIA’s role as a true global gateway.

LOT will operate four weekly flights with new generation Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft that seat 252 passengers.

LOT’s hub operation at Warsaw Chopin Airport provides passengers more than 350 daily flights to 100 destinations worldwide, as well as extensive connections throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Miami is currently one of the largest markets in the U.S so far not served by LOT, said Rafał Milczarski, LOT Chief Executive Officer.

It is the first such convenient connection between Central and Eastern Europe and Florida with almost half a million passengers per year traveling between the two regions.

Thanks to our broad network of connections and the most convenient transfers offered via the hub in Warsaw, I am sure that many passengers from Miami will take advantage of our latest offer and fly on our board to Budapest, Prague, Kiev or Tel-aviv.

LOT, which launched operations in 1928, is considered one of the fastest-growing airlines in Europe today, with seven million passengers onboard each year.

LOT’s fleet of 73 aircraft is also one of the youngest and most modern in Europe.

We eagerly look forward to welcoming LOT Polish Airlines’ Warsaw service next summer, said Miami-Dade Aviation Director Lester Sola.

We are proud to be their first destination in Florida and to be part of their ongoing expansion into North America.


Tourism Observer

TURKEY: Pegasus Airlines Introduces Non-stop Izmir To Kiev Flights

Turkey’s low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines is launching direct non-stop flights from Turkey's Aegean city of Izmir to the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv or Kiev.

Turkish carrier's first flight is on July 9, 2018. Pegasus Airlines will connect Izmir's Adnan Menderes Aiport (ADB) with Igor Sikorsky Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany).

The flights will depart from ADB at 23.50 and arrive Kiev at 02.15.

Return flight will depart from Kiev 02.55 and arrive Izmir at 05.15.

Izmir – Kyiv flights will be performed on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
Fares start at US$54.99 pp one-way.

Ukrainian holidaymakers have plenty of choice when it comes to accessing popular family friendly resorts on the west coast of Turkey such as Kuşadasi, Çeşme, Ozdere and Seferihisar.

This brand new Turkish destination is expected to be extremely popular with holidaymakers looking for exceptional weather, great value, and fabulous cuisine with beautiful beaches and the Dilek National Park within easy reach.

Pegasus Airlines is a Turkish low-cost airline headquartered in the Kurtkoy area of Pendik, Istanbul with bases at several Turkish airports.

On 1 December 1989 two businesses, Net and Silkar, partnered with Aer Lingus to create an inclusive tour charter airline called Pegasus Airlines and services were inaugurated on 15 April 1990 with two Boeing 737–400s.

In Greek mythology, Pegasus was a winged horse sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa.

However, four months after the launch, Iraq invaded Kuwait and the seven month occupation that followed had a serious effect on Turkish tourism.

By 1992, tourists began returning to the country and Pegasus grew with the acquisition of a third 737-400. The airline leased a further two Airbus A320s to meet the summer demand.

After two positive years, Aer Lingus and Net sold their shares in the company in 1994 to Istanbul-based Yapi Kredibank, making Pegasus a purely Turkish company.

On 4 September 1997, Pegasus placed an order for one 737-400 and one 737–800 from Boeing Commercial Airplanes making it the first Turkish carrier to place an order for the Boeing 737 Next Generation.

The airline also signed lease agreements for a further 10 737-800s from the ILFC.

In January 2005, ESAS Holdings purchased Pegasus Airlines and placed Ali Sabanci as the chairman. Two months later, he changed the airline from a charter airline, to a low-cost airline.

In November 2005, Pegasus placed an order for 12 new 737-800s from Boeing which was backed up with an order for a further 12 737-800s in November 2008.

The latter order has flexibility in it as the orders can be changed to the 149-seat 737-700 or the 215-seat 737–900 depending on market demand.In 2018, Pegasus tried to acquire an A380 but later cancelled the order.

In 2007, Pegasus carried more passengers in Turkey than any other private airline. In 2008, it carried a total of 4.4 million passengers. In 2013 the passenger traffic grew even further to 16.8 million passengers carried.

In 2012, Pegasus Airlines, the second largest airline in Turkey, has signed for up to 100 A320neo Family aircraft 57 A320neo and 18 A321neo models, of which 75 are firm orders.

Pegasus becomes a new Airbus customer and the first Turkish airline to order the A320neo.

This was the largest single commercial aircraft order ever placed by an airline in Turkey at that time, and was announced on December 18, 2012 at a ceremony attended by Binali Yıldırım, the Turkish Minister of Transport.

In June 2012, Pegasus Airlines bought 49% of the Kyrgyz air company Air Manas. 22 March 2013 the air company had operated its first flight under the brand name Pegasus Asia.

The company offered 34.5% of its shares of stock to the public. The shares began to be traded at the Borsa Istanbul as BİST: PGSUS on 26 April 2013.

In October 2016, Pegasus Airlines announced to offer three of its aircraft on the ACMI and leasing markets, stating severely decreasing passenger numbers.

Pegasus Airlines operates a one-class interior configuration on all of their aircraft. A Flying Cafe is available to all passengers whereby food and beverages are provided for an additional charge.

Pegasus is also considering installing In-Flight-Entertainment and charging for headphones.

Currently, only overhead screens are available on selected 737-800s and they only display a computer-generated map showing the flight's progress. All new Boeing 737-800s arrived after November 2011 have Boeing Sky Interior.

Unlike most low-cost carriers, Pegasus runs its own flight crew training centre and maintenance organisation, Pegasus Technic.

Both centres are fully licensed and are used to train new staff members both on the ground and in the air.

Pegasus Airlines is one of the official sponsors of Türk Telekom Arena, newly built stadium for Turkish Club Galatasaray SK.

Pegasus Airlines was named the cheapest European low cost airline in research held in October and again in June 2014.

Pegasus Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

- Flynas

- KLM

Pegasus Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Airbus A320-200 12

- Airbus A320neo 18

- Boeing 737-800 44

- Total 76

Aircraft Orders For pegasus

- Airbus A320neo 51

- Airbus A321neo 43

- Boeing 737-800 5

- Total Orders 93

On 10 March 2010, Pegasus Airlines Flight 361, an Airbus A319 operated by IZair on a ferry flight, made an emergency landing at Frankfurt Airport, Germany after a malfunction in the nose gear.

The flight landed safely but blew both front nose gear tires. The airport closed runway 07R/25L for 3 hours to allow recovery. The nose gear suffered the same problem as JetBlue Flight 292.

On 7 February 2014, Pegasus Airlines Flight 751, a Boeing 737, was the victim of an attempted hijacking by a Ukrainian passenger Artem Kozlov who claimed he had a bomb on board.

The passenger demanded to be flown to Sochi, the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics, where the Opening Ceremony was taking place. The plane landed safely in Istanbul.

On 13 January 2018, Pegasus Airlines Flight 8622 from Esenboga International Airport, Ankara to Trabzon Airport veered off the icy runway at Trabzon, slid into the ground of an acutely angled cliff, and got stuck in the mud, which prevented the 41-tonne fuselage from skidding into the Black Sea.

All 168 people on board survived and there were no reported injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.


Tourism Observer

EUROPE: Some Dangerous Cities

Europe expereiences a high level of safety, violence does occur and patterns of where and when it does can appear.

This is measured from a city's its homicide rate, which is defined as the intentional death of a citizen at the hands of another citizen or citizens.

These rates are calculated to be per capita, so although one city may experience a higher number of murders than another, if their population is larger the murder rate will be lower as a result.

Areas such as Central and South America and Africa can see rates reaching 50 murders per 100,000 residents, and the homicide rate of the United States is around 5 per 100,000.

Tallinn, Estonia - 5.5 homicides per 100,000 people

Tallinn is a city in Estonia, situated on the northern coast of the country. With a relatively small population of 443,894, the city experienced 22 homicides in 2010, bringing its rate to 5.5 per 100,000.

This sits lower than the murder rate of Estonia that was calculated between 1999 and 2001, which was calculated as a high of 9.4 per 100,000 people.

The general trend appears to be that the homicide rate in Tallinn is decreasing, as 40 murders were reported in 2005, standing in contrast to 2010.

However, Tallinn's small population size, relatively large amount of murders per capita, and position on a continent where violent crime is highly uncommon gives it a place at the top of this list.

Glasgow, Scotland - 5.1 homicides per 100,000 people

Glasgow is the largest city of Scotland, located in the United Kingdom.

In 2010, the homicide rate of Glasgow was 5.1 per 100,000 residents, calculated from a total of 30 murders that were experienced in the city that year.

30 is a number that appears to be average for the number of violent deaths in Glasgow every year, a number that may be due to organized gangs and turf wars.

Vilnius, Lithuania - 4.7 homicides per 100,000 people

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, which is located in the Baltic states.

In 2010, Vilnius reported 26 crimes, producing a crime rate of 4.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.

This number was, however, actually a decrease from the crime rates experience prior to 2010, which reached a high in 2008 when 58 homicides were recorded resulting in a rate of 10.4 per 100,000 residents.

Despite these numbers of homicides that appear relatively high for Europe, visitors are still much more likely to encounter petty crime such as pickpocketing and credit card theft.

Moscow, Russia - 4.2 homicides per 100,000 people

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the largest city on the European continent with 12.2 million inhabitants.

It is a major cultural center of Europe and is located on the Moskva River.

In 2010, there were 483 homicides reported in Moscow, although this was a decrease from numbers seen in 2005, 2006 and 2007, where 766, 767, and 629 murders were reported respectively.

This decrease in murders may be a sign that violent crime in Moscow is decreasing, although other crime such as car theft remains a problem in this major city.

Podgorica, Montenegro - 3.5 homicides per 100,000 people

Podgorica is the largest city of Montenegro, as well as serving as the nation's capital. Between 1946 and 1992, when Montenegro was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Yugoslavia), the city was known as Titograd.

In 2010, there were 7 deaths by homicide recorded in Podgorica.

This is a number that seems pretty on-trend for what is reported for Podgorica, although the year 2006 did see an influx of homicides, with 12 in the year bringing the homicide rate of the time up to 6.5 per 100,000 residents.

Belfast, Northern Ireland - 3.3 homicides per 100,000 people

Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom and located in the north of the island of Ireland.

In 2010, Belfast reported a homicide rate of 3.3, which was calculated from nine murders, given Belfast's relatively small population of 286,000.

This crime rate, however, is part of a trend in the lowering of homicides in Northern Ireland.

During the Troubles of the 1970s and 80s, the crime rate of Northern Ireland was closer to 31 per 100,000, which is similar to the homicide rate that could be found in Colombia or South Africa during the early 2010s.

Riga, Latvia - 3.3 homicides per 100,000 people

Riga is the largest city in Latvia, a country located in the Baltic states.

In 2010, there were 23 murders in the city, resulting in a homicide rate of 3.3.

Although the historic city is known to be relatively safe, public parks and the heavily-touristed Old Town are known to be areas where crime could be more likely to occur, although much of this may be petty crime such as pickpocketing.

2010, however, appears to have been slightly lower than what is average for Riga, as the years 2005-2009 each saw over 30 reported homicide incidents.

Kiev, Ukraine - 3.2 homicides per 100,000 people

Kiev is the largest city and capital of the Eastern European country of Ukraine. In 2010, 118 of Kiev's residents were victims of homicide, creating a murder rate of 3.2

This appears to be a number that is a somewhat annual average for Kiev, where murder rates are about 100 per year.

The public transit system, including suburban trains, have been singled out as potential hotbeds for violent crime in Kiev due to their tendency to be overcrowded and require repairs.

Zurich, Switzerland - 3.0 homicides per 100,000 people

Zurich is the largest city in the central European nation of Switzerland.

In 2010, there were 11 homicides reported in the city, which creates a murder rate of 3.0 when the city's low population of less than half a million is taken into consideration.

2010, however, does appear to be somewhat of an anomaly for this Swiss urban area, as both the years 2009 and 2011 saw only 4 and 1 murders, respectively.

Brussels, Belgium - 2.8 homicides per 100,000 people

Brussels is the largest city in Belgium, located in Western Europe.

It is also well known for being the capital of the European Union (EU).

In 2010, there were 31 murders in Brussels, a number that appears to be average for the city with the year 2008 being a slight exception when 44 homicides were reported.

In 2001, Brussels was the fourth most crime-ridden city in Europe, although this number also took into other crimes such as burglary and assault.




Tourism Observer

UKRAINE: Windrose Airlines

Windrose Airlines, legally Wind Rose Aviation Company, is a Ukrainian charter airline based at Boryspil International Airport.

Founded on 28 October 2003, the airline's headquarters is in Kiev; it operates charter flights to destinations in Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

The airline was established in 2003 to provide charter flights to destinations in Europe and the Middle East.

Its most probably part of the Privat Group of billionaire Igor Kolomoysky - PrivatBank, Ukraine International Airlines, Dniproavia, insolvent AeroSvit, CimberAir, Donbassaero.

In 2006, regular flights to Moscow and Kaliningrad in Russia were initiated.

In 2008 the company expanded its route network, then sharply reduced it.

Since 2008, Windrose Airlines has focused on charter flights.

From 2010 to the present day, the airline has been licensed to operate regular flights, should the need arise.

The airline was the first to carry out flights basing its aircraft at various airports in Ukraine.

Windrose Airlines operates charter flights to and from the following destinations:

Austria
Salzburg – Salzburg Airport

Bulgaria
Sofia – Sofia Airport

Egypt
Sharm el-Sheikh – Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport

Hurghada – Hurghada International Airport

Finland
Kittilä – Kittilä Airport

Rovaniemi – Rovaniemi Airport

Israel
Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion Airport

Montenegro;Italy
Brescia - Brescia Airport

Tivat - Tivat Airport

Spain
Tenerife - Tenerife Airport

Slovenia
Maribor – Maribor Airport

Turkey
Antalya – Antalya International Airport

Ukraine
Kharkiv - Kharkiv International Airport

Kiev – Boryspil International Airport

Ivano-Frankivsk – Ivano-Frankivsk International Airport

The Windrose Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft.

Airbus A320-200 - 1

Airbus A321-200 - 4

Airbus A330-200 - 1

Embraer 145 - 5

Total - 11



Tourism Observer

ANGOLA: Luanda Overtakes Hong Kong As Most Expensive City For Expatriates To Live In

Mercer’s annual Cost of Living Survey finds African, Asian, and European cities dominate the list of most expensive locations for working abroad

- Luanda overtakes Hong Kong as the most expensive city for expatriates to live in according to Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey.

- Victoria in the Seychelles ranks 14th most expensive city sharing the same ranking with Moscow.

Cape Town, Blantyre and Windhoek ranks amongst the 15 cheapest cities globally.

In a rapidly changing world, mobility has become a core component of multinational organizations’ global talent strategy. To support the growing number of international assignees working in an increased number of locations, organizations are focusing on evaluating assignments from a cultural perspective, preparing for regional and lateral moves, and modifying compensation approaches to stay competitive.

As organizations grapple with these challenges, they are working hard to accommodate the needs of their workforce and to support employees’ careers. According to Mercer’s (www.Mercer.com) 2017 Global Talent Trends Study, fair and competitive pay as well as opportunities for promotion are top priorities for employees this year – not surprising given the current climate of uncertainty and change.

As a result, multinational organizations are carefully assessing the cost of expatriate packages for their international assignees. Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey finds that factors like instability of housing markets and inflation for goods and services contribute to the overall cost of doing business in today’s global environment.

“Globalization of the marketplace is well documented with many companies operating in multiple locations around the world and promoting international assignments to enhance the experience of future managers,” said Ilya Bonic, Senior Partner and President of Mercer’s Career business. “There are numerous personal and organizational advantages for sending employees overseas, whether for long- or short-term assignments, including career development by obtaining global experience, the creation and transfer of skills, and the re-allocation of resources.”

Mercer’s 2017 Cost of Living Survey finds Asian and European cities – particularly Hong Kong (2), Tokyo (3), Zurich (4), and Singapore (5) – top the list of most expensive cities for expatriates. The costliest city, driven by cost of goods and security, is Luanda (1), the capital of Angola view the Top 15 Cities Ranking here: http://APO.af/hrS2vG). Other cities appearing in the top 10 of Mercer’s costliest cities for expatriates are Seoul (6), Geneva (7), Shanghai (8), New York City (9), and Bern (10). The world’s least expensive cities for expatriates, according to Mercer’s survey, are Tunis (209), Bishkek (208), and Skopje (206).

Mercer's authoritative survey is one of the world’s most comprehensive, and is designed to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees. New York is used as the base city and all cities are compared against it.

Currency movements are measured against the US dollar. The survey includes over 400 cities across five continents and measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment.

“While historically mobility, talent management, and rewards have been managed independently of one another, organizations are now using a more holistic approach to enhance their mobility strategies. Compensation is important to be competitive and must be determined appropriately based on the cost of living, currency, and location,” said Mr. Bonic.

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
Only three European cities remain in the top 10 list of most expensive cities for expatriates.

Zurich (4) is still the most costly European city on the list, followed by Geneva (7) and Bern (10). Moscow (14) and St. Petersburg (36) surged fifty-three and one hundred and sixteen places from last year respectively, due to the strong appreciation of the ruble against the US dollar and the cost of goods and services. Meanwhile, London (30), Aberdeen (146) and Birmingham (147) dropped thirteen, sixty-one and fifty-one spots respectively as a result of the pound weakening against the US dollar following the Brexit vote. Copenhagen (28) fell four places from 24 to 28. Oslo (46) is up thirteen spots from last year, while Paris fell eighteen places to rank 62.

Other Western European cities dropped in the rankings as well, mainly due to the weakening of local currencies against the US dollar. Vienna (78) and Rome (80) fell in the ranking by 24 and 22 spots, respectively. The German cities of Munich (98), Frankfurt (117), and Berlin (120) dropped significantly as did Dusseldorf (122) and Hamburg (125).

Despite moderate price increases in most of the European cities, European currencies have weakened against the US dollar, which pushed most Western European cities down in the ranking,” explained Ms. Constantin-Métral. “Additionally, other factors like the Eurozone’s economy have impacted these cities.

As a result of local currencies depreciating against the US dollar, some cities in Eastern and Central Europe, including Prague (132) and Budapest (176) fell in the ranking, while Minsk (200) and Kiev (163) jumped four and thirteen spots, respectively, despite stable accommodations in these locations.

Ranking 17, Tel Aviv jumped two spots from last year and continues to be the most expensive city in the Middle East for expatriates followed by Dubai (20), Abu Dhabi (23), and Riyadh (52), which have all climbed in this year’s ranking. Jeddah (117), Muscat (92), and Doha (81) are among the least expensive cities in the region. Cairo (183) is the least expensive city in the region plummeting ninety-two spots from last year following a major devaluation of its local currency (view the Bottom 15 Cities Ranking here: http://APO.af/4AAhwv).

Egypt’s decision to allow its currency to float freely in return for a 12 billion dollar loan over three years to help strengthen its economy resulted in the massive devaluation of the Egyptian Pound by more than 100% against the US dollar, pushing Cairo down the ranking” said Ms. Constantin-Métral.”

Quite a few African cities continue to rank high in this year’s survey, reflecting high living costs and prices of goods for expatriate employees (view the African Cities Ranking here: http://APO.af/pCXLBW). Luanda (1) takes the top spot as the most expensive city for expatriates across Africa and globally despite its currency weakening against the US dollar.

Luanda is followed by Victoria (14), Ndjamena (16), and Kinshasa (18). Tunis falls six spots to rank 209 as the least expensive city in the region and overall.

Asia Pacific

Five of the top 10 cities in this year’s ranking are in Asia. Hong Kong (2) is the most expensive city as a result of its currency pegged to the US dollar, which drove up the cost of accommodations locally. This global financial center is followed by Tokyo (3), Singapore (5), Seoul (6), and Shanghai (8).

“The strengthening of the Japanese yen along with the high costs of expatriate consumer goods and a dynamic housing market pushed Japanese cities up in the ranking,” said Ms. Constantin-Métral. “However, the majority of Chinese cities fell in the ranking due to the weakening of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar.”

Australian cities have all experienced further jumps up the global ranking since last year due to the strengthening of the Australian dollar. Sydney (25), Australia’s most expensive city for expatriates, gained seventeen places in the ranking along with Melbourne (46) and Perth (50) which went up twenty-five and nineteen spots, respectively.

India’s most expensive city, Mumbai (57), climbed twenty-five places in the ranking due to its rapid economic growth, inflation on the goods and services basket and a stable currency against the US Dollar. This most populous city in India is followed by New Delhi (99) and Chennai (135) which rose in the ranking by thirty-one and twenty-three spots, respectively. Bengaluru (166) and Kolkata (184), the least expensive Indian cities, climbed in the ranking as well.

Elsewhere in Asia, Bangkok (67) jumped seven places from last year. Jakarta (88) and Hanoi (100) also rose in the ranking, up five and six places, respectively. Karachi (201) and Bishkek (208) remain the region’s least expensive cities for expatriates.

The Americas

Cities in the United States are the most expensive locations in the Americas, with New York City (9) ranked as the costliest city, climbing two spots from last year. San Francisco (22) and Los Angeles (24) follow, having climbed four and three spots respectively. Among other major US cities, Chicago (32) is up two places, Boston (51) is down four places, and Seattle is up seven places. Portland (115) and Winston Salem (140) remain the least expensive surveyed cities for expatriates in the US.

Nathalie Constantin-Métral, Principal at Mercer with responsibility for compiling the survey ranking, said, “Overall, US cities either remained stable in the ranking or have slightly increased due to the movement of the US dollar against the majority of currencies worldwide.”

In South America, Brazilian cities Sao Paulo (27) and Rio de Janeiro (56) surged 101 and 100 spots, respectively, due to the strengthening of the Brazilian real against the US dollar. Buenos Aires, the Argentina capital and financial hub ranked 40 followed by Santiago (67) and Montevideo, Uruguay (65), which jumped forty-one and fifty-four places, respectively. Other cities in South America that rose on the list of costliest cities for expatriates include Lima (104) and Havana (151).

Dropping from 94th position, San Jose, Costa Rica (110) experienced the largest drop in the region as the US dollar strengthened against the Costa Rican colon. Caracas in Venezuela has been excluded from the ranking due to the complex currency situation. Depending on which exchange rate is being used, the city would arrive at the top or at the bottom of the ranking.

“Inflationary concerns continued to cause some South American cities to rise in the ranking, whereas the weakening of the local currencies in some of the region’s cities caused them to drop in the ranking,” said Ms. Constantin-Métral.

Up thirty-five places from last year, Vancouver (107) has overtaken Toronto (119) to become the most expensive Canadian city in the ranking, followed by Montreal (129) and Calgary (143). Ranking 152, Ottawa is the least expensive city in Canada. “The Canadian dollar has appreciated in value triggering the major jumps in this year’s ranking,” explained Ms. Constantin-Métral.

MOLDOVA: Air Moldova Increases Flights To Russia

Air Moldova, the national airline of Moldova headquartered in Chișinau, announced that it will be adding new flights to Russia in 2017.

Air Moldova is the national airline of Moldova headquartered in Chișinau. It mainly operates scheduled and charter services to destinations within Europe from its base at Chișinau International Airport.

Chișinău is the capital of Eastern Europe’s Republic of Moldova.

New Russia services, planned for the summer 2017 season, will include additional flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The flights on Chisinau – Moscow Domodedovo route will increase from 3 to 4 daily.

The flights on Chisinau – St. Petersburg route will increase from 1 to 2 daily.

New services commenced on March 26, 2017.

Air Moldova is the national airline of Moldova headquartered in Chișinau. It mainly operates scheduled and charter services to destinations within Europe from its base at Chișinau International Airport.

The origin of Air Moldova can be traced to 19 September 1944, when the first unit of Po-2 transport aircraft arrived in Chișinau and the Moldovan Independent Squadron was established. Aside from fifteen aircraft Po-2 biplanes operating domestic flights and serving in the agricultural role, there were also two Li-2 aircraft, used on flights to Moscow, some Ukrainian cities and to Black Sea and Caucasus summer resorts.

In the 1960s, considerable steps were made in the development of the local Moldovan airline industry. A new airport in Chișinau able to accommodate gas turbine aircraft was opened early in the decade.

The enterprise received status of Civil Aviation Administration in 1965 and new Antonov An-10, An-12 and An-24 aircraft expanded its fleet. Regular flights to many cities in the USSR were begun and the transportation of fruits and vegetables grown in Moldova to the largest industrial centers of the USSR was established.

The beginning of the 1970s was marked by the appearance of jet aircraft on Moldova's main air routes. The first Tupolev Tu-134 twin-jet airliner began service in Moldova in 1971 and became the main aircraft type of the enterprise, increasing in number until at one point 26 of them were in use. In Chișinau there was even an all-union test basis for aircraft of this type.

The fleet was further enlarged in 1972 with the Yakovlev Yak-42 tri-jet regional aircraft and in 1974 with the An-26 turboprop cargo aircraft. The route map kept expanding and the flow of traffic kept growing throughout the decade.

In the middle of the 1980s, Moldovan operations received ten larger Tupolev Tu-154 tri-jet airliners, furthering the development of Moldovan aviation. At that time Moldovan aircraft flew to 73 cities in the USSR and carried over 1,000,000 passengers per year. In 1990 the first international route between Chișinau and Frankfurt was opened.

The airline was created in 1993 on the basis of the local Aeroflot unit. Since its very start, the company’s efforts were targeted at integration to the international market and compliance with the modern standards and requirements to high-end airlines.

Air Moldova joined the management team improvement program in 1999.

On 13 July 2004, Air Moldova became an IATA member. Air Moldova has also passed the operation safety audit and received the IOSA operator certificate. In May 2006, Air Moldova implemented e-ticketing on all its flights. The Air Moldova air operators certificate permitted the transport of passengers, goods and mail as of July 2007.

In February 2015, Air Moldova ceased three routes to Bucharest, Kiev and Sochi as the contract with Tandem Aero, which operated them on behalf of Air Moldova, was discontinued.The Chisinau-Bucharest route was relaunched on December 12th, 2016.

Air Moldova operates flights to several European metropolitan destinations from its base at Chișinau International Airport as well as additional seasonal and charter flights to Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey and London.

Air Moldova has codeshare agreements with the following airlines as of July 2015:

S7 Airlines (Oneworld)
UTair Aviation
Ukraine International Airlines
Meridiana

The Air Moldova fleet consists of the following aircraft as of 22 May 2016

Air Moldova Fleet

Type In Fleet

Airbus A319-100 1
Airbus A320-200 2
Airbus A321-200 1
Embraer E-190 3
Total 7 —


In 2001, Air Moldova leased Embraer 120 and 145 aircraft. The two Yakovlev Yak-42s went back to Russia in late 2003 and 2004. The last Tupolev Tu-154B (ER-85285) was destroyed on July 5, 2006.

In November 2006, 93.1 million Moldovan lei (about €6 million) were transferred from the 2006 state budget to Air Moldova. With another 9 million lei taken from a bank, one of the six Airbus A320 has been bought.

The political opposition at that time had doubts about the transparency of this deal.In June 2007, Air Moldova gave back an Airbus A320 to the lessor after 38 months of service.

A MD-82 (SX-BSQ) from SkyWings was leased for 5 months from 15 May until October 2007.

The Tupolev Tu-134 operated the Moscow and Istanbul flights more often when the second Airbus left the fleet. In the past Air Moldova chartered a Cirrus Airlines Boeing 737-500, the Moldavian Airlines Fokker 100, a Bulgarian Air VIA A320, Jet Tran Air MD81/82s and a Khors Air MD82 as a replacement.

The Yak-40 replaced the Embraer EMB-120 (e.g. to Prague or Vienna) when that aircraft was in maintenance.

The first Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia was part of the fleet from 12 October 2001 until 28 September 2006 when it was transferred to Tandem Aero. The second Embraer 120RT flew between 23 April 2004 and 26 March 2005 for Air Moldova.

The second Embraer EMB120 Brasilia was bought in 2006. In February 2015, Air Moldova phased out their remaining single Embraer EMB-120 which was operated on lease by Tandem Aero.

Embraer signed a firm order with Air Moldova for 2 one-class Embraer 190 regional jets. The contract included purchase rights for another aircraft. Delivery was on 10 May 2010.

A third Embraer 190,manufactured in 2009 and previously operated by Lufthansa and Borajet joined the fleet in 2016.

In 2012, Air Moldova transported 506,000 passengers. In 2013, Air Moldova transported 527,000 passengers.

In 2015, Air Moldova transported 1,000,000 passengers.

LATIVIA: Riga Airport Leading In The Baltics

The number of passengers served has increased by 6.3%.

In the first half of the year, over 2.52 million passengers were carried, which is a 6.3% increase compared to the first half of the previous year.

The number of flights has increased by 2.1% and over 33 thousand flights have been performed in total.

Serving 45% of Baltic air passengers, Riga's Airport has maintained its leading position in the Baltics.

The "Riga" Airport has recorded a sharp 18.4% increase in the number of transfer passengers, thanks to the success of the national airline "airBaltic" in attracting transfer passengers.

In the first half of the year, transit and transfer passengers accounted for 26.6% of the total number of passengers. The main transfer destinations are Tallinn, Vilnius, Helsinki, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Kiev, Berlin, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, but the largest increase in transfer traffic has been in the direction of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, London and Kiev.

This year, the most popular destinations in terms of number of passengers are London, Moscow, Frankfurt, Oslo and Helsinki, while the largest growth has been for flights to Berlin, London, Kiev, Moscow and Stockholm.

In the first half of the year, two new airlines have launched routes - "Vueling" (Riga-Barcelona-Riga) and "Aegan Airlines" (Riga-Athens-Riga).

Currently, the airport is successfully carrying out the terminal's development. The new terminal is expected to be completed by this year's winter flight-season.

BELARUS: Belavia has opened a flight to international airport “Kiev”

From October 12, 2005 airline “Belavia – Belarusian Airlines” increased the number of flights on the route Minsk – Kiev – Minsk. Prior to that, planes of airline “Belavia – Belarusian Airlines” on the route Minsk – Kiev – Minsk had been flying twice a day at “Borispol” airport.

belaviaThe new route will be carried to International airport “Kiev” (Zhulyany). In such a way, passengers will have the opportunity to choose the more convenient time and airport to travel Kiev. The flights will be performed on a daily basis with departure from Minsk at 23.05, from Kiev (Zhulyany) – at 05.15 of local time. Travel time is about 1 hour.

As explained Anatoliy Gusarov, general director of OJSC “Belavia – Belarusian Airlines” the early flight from Kiev and arrival to Minsk will give the passengers, especially to business people, the opportunity to plan their time in Belarus rational: to accomplish all their works and to return home. For another thing, the flight schedule of airline “Belavia – Belarusian Airlines” will give to connecting passengers the opportunity to continue their travel practically along the whole flight network of the airline.

UAE: Airbnb Demand Grows In The UAE

The service competes with hotel apartments in Dubai: analysts

Dubai: On a recent trip to Kiev, Ukraine, Leena Alwedai decided to stay in an apartment that she found on Airbnb for four nights, with price being the main motivator.

Why pay for a hotel room, she said, when she wasn’t going to use the hotel’s facilities?

The 25-year-old Dubai resident said that she paid $45 (Dh165) per night for the Kiev apartment, adding that it was “twice as cheap” compared to what she would’ve paid for a hotel room.

The location of the apartment was also desirable. “I wanted a convenient place that was close to the metro,” she said.

Airbnb, a San Francisco-based home-sharing firm, helps tourists find cheap accommodation in sought-after locations. It is popular with value-seeking families and millennials, tourism analysts say.

The company is growing rapidly, with a presence in more than 34,000 cities worldwide. It is expected to double its nightly bookings this year to about 80 million, according to a Reuters report last month.

The growth of the company is threatening many hotels globally since it is undercutting their prices. In Dubai, rates of homes on Airbnb range from $20 to over $2,000 per night, while hotel room rates can be anything from $100 to over $10,000 a night — that’s 40-50 per cent cheaper, said Yousef Wahbah, head of transaction real estate for the Middle East and North Africa at global consultancy EY.

If Airbnb continues to grow at its current rate, the dent in budget hotels’ takings is expected to be 10 per cent by 2016, according to an article in The Economist last year, citing a study by Boston University.

Listings in the UAE

The company has 2,000 properties listed in the UAE, mainly in Dubai. It has seen a 93 per cent increase in the number of listings in the UAE over the last year, an Airbnb spokesperson said by email.

“Dubai is our largest city in the region,” the spokesperson added.

Analysts vary on just how much Airbnb is impacting the hospitality industry in the country, which most saying hotel apartments in Dubai are receiving the most competition from Airbnb’s listings.

“Airbnb does not compete with hotels but it competes to a certain extent with hotel apartments,” Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, executive vice-president — head of hotels and hospitality group for the Middle East and Africa at real estate consultancy JLL, said by phone.

John Podaras, partner at consultancy Hotel Development Resources, said that hotels here do not compete with Airbnb because “the products and consequently the markets tend to be different.”

“Typical hotel guests are looking for full serviced concepts that hotels offer whereas the Airbnb market tends more towards the self-catering product,” he added.

Meanwhile, Wahbah said that the home and room renting site competes with affordable hotels and hotel apartments in the city.

“Airbnb is not a direct competitor to the luxury hospitality offerings that the city has to offer but can be considered as a competitor in the affordable market segments,” he said.

Mona Faraj, managing partner at consultancy Insights Management Consultants, pointed out that the company is “not a significant threat to the industry at this point”.

She noted that in March, Dubai had 1,008 listings on Airbnb — that represents less than 2 per cent of the emirate’s hotel inventory, citing the Middle East Online Travel Overview report by Phocuswright.

Airbnb’s rapid growth comes even as the firm battles globally with regulators over who can rent out their properties.

Regulations

In Dubai, subletting properties for a short term without the landlord’s consent and a license to operate a holiday home is illegal, says Geoff Smith, senior associate at law firm Afridi & Angell.

“Under the landlord/tenant legislation in Dubai, subletting of property is permitted with the landlord’s consent. Anyone who is seeking to lease or sublease property as a holiday home or short term let must also be licensed by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM),” he said by email.

The law to regulate the holiday home market in Dubai was introduced two years ago, with the aim to help the emirate achieve its target of welcoming 20 million visitors per year by 2020.

“Holiday homes form an integral part of the Dubai hospitality offering, contributing to the growth of Dubai’s tourism industry by broadening the range of accommodations available to visitors and complementing the emirate’s world-class hotel offering,” Khaled Bin Touq, executive director, licensing & classification sector at DTCM, said by email.

Future growth

Analysts expect demand for homes on Airbnb in Dubai to grow in the coming years, as the number of tourists in the city increase, which is currently growing at around 10 per cent annually, according to DTCM. The emirate attracted 13.2 million visitors in 2014, up 8.2 per cent over the previous year, DTCM said in a statement.

“The city has seen a healthy demand for these services in the recent years, which is only expected to grow on account of the increase in tourists and the developments around Expo 2020 a six-month trade fair,” Wahbah said.

RUSSIA: Halt Of Russia-Ukraine Flights Creates Anger, Market Gap

Russia and Ukraine will close their airspace to each other's airlines on Sunday, ending direct flights between the two countries.

The restrictions will affect around a million passengers each year and annual ticket sales by Ukrainian and Russian airlines worth 7-8 billion rubles ($110 million-$125 million), Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said after they were announced last month.

They are the latest move in the confrontation that followed Russia's annexation of Crimea last year and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, where about 8,000 people have been killed since mid-2014.

The airspace closures will hit Ukrainians harder. According to Sokolov, 70 percent of air passengers between the two countries are Ukrainian nationals, tens of thousands of whom migrate to Russia's richer economy to work.

"With this measure, Ukrainian authorities are first and foremost forcing their own citizens into transport isolation," Sokolov said in an interview with the Rossia-24 TV channel, according to the Interfax news agency.

One affected Ukrainian is Anton Petrus, a 29-year-old photographer and manager at travel agency Adventure Team, which arranges extreme tours in Russia. Petrov travels to various places in Russia from his home in Kiev several times a month for work.

When news of the ban broke in late September, his ticket to Moscow on Oct. 25 became void. He changed it, and will be on the last direct flight from Kiev on Saturday.

After that, life gets complex. Petrus will have to get used to long stopovers at transit airports, and says he'll have to pay about one-third more for every trip.

"No one is better off from this," he said.
Tit-for-Tat

The first move to close the sky was made by Ukraine on Sept. 25. "Planes with the Russian tricolor have no business in Ukrainian airports," said Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, unveiling a list of more than 20 Russian airlines that would be barred from landing in the country from Oct. 25.

Sokolov said that Ukrainians had "shot themselves in the foot."

Within days, Russia said it would close its airspace to all Ukrainian airlines, also from Oct. 25. Kiev then said the few remaining companies not on its sanctions list would also be barred.

The measures cut across two countries that have huge shared populations. According to census data, about 2 million Russian citizens are ethnic Ukrainians, and 8.3 million people in Ukraine are ethnic Russians, about half of whom lived in Crimea or the now breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk. As of Oct. 4, some 2.6 million Ukrainian citizens were in Russia, Federal Migration Service data show.

Chain-smoking cigarettes at Moscow's Kievsky Station, 25-year-old Ukrainian Alexander Chepin said he worked at a lumberyard in Tver, northwest of Moscow. There's no work in Ukraine, and most of his friends also travel to Russia to make money, he said.

Ukraine's economy is set to shrink by 11 percent this year, while Russia's is forecast to contract by nearly 4 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Chepin said there was real anger over Kiev's decision to ban flights from Russia. "It's wrong," he said, but added that Ukraine's politicians couldn't care less about public discontent.

When the airspace closures were announced, Petrus wrote on his blog that Russian and Ukrainian authorities were "two imbeciles fighting in a sand pit." He said he closed down the comment thread after nationalists began deluging it with posts.

Petrus said only a tiny minority of Ukrainians travel frequently to Russia, and their outrage was easy to ignore amid the general feeling of anti-Russia patriotism. That situation is mirrored in Russia, where President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings are at record highs.
Market Gap

By ending direct flights, the airspace closures spell a shakeup of the aviation industry that could see airports and carriers from other countries steal some business.

Ten or 11 trains per day run from Russia to cities in Ukraine — and take around 13 hours to get from Moscow to Kiev. But passenger numbers fell by almost 50 percent in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period in 2014, according to Russian Railways representative Oksana Bykhova, and the company has no plans to run more trains.

Demand for flights has been more resilient, said Oleg Panteleyev, head of aviation information agency AviaPort. Higher prices and longer layovers will likely see a decline in passenger numbers between Russia and Ukraine — which he put at about 680,000 per year — but most will still fly, he said. The question is with whom.

Belavia, the flag carrier of Belarus, has already boosted flights, and Minsk National Airport is set to become a transit hub. Other neighboring countries are also likely to gain passenger turnover, Panteleyev said, with Chisinau in Moldova, Riga in Latvia and Turkey's Istanbul likely to benefit.

Ukraine's aviation authority said this week that some Ukrainian airlines had applied for extra licenses to fly to Minsk and other cities that could see an increase in demand.

Others are still hoping the sanctions can be softened. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency said this week that two Ukrainian airlines had requested permission to fly routes during the winter in light of "long-standing kindred and socio-economic ties between the people of Ukraine and Russia."

The agency said it had invited Ukrainian aviation authorities to the table, and Russian Transport Minister Sokolov gave his backing to negotiations. But Panteleyev said politics would likely poison chances of a deal.

At Kievsky Station, Valentina, 50, a Ukrainian who also works in Moscow and declined to give her surname, said a solution would only be found once Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had been voted out of office. Once he and his pro-Western outlook are gone, "everything will be fine again," she said.

A nearby Russian man interjected: "The Ukrainians are driving themselves into financial ruin."

UKRAINE: Windrose Airlines

Windrose Airlines, legally Wind Rose Aviation Company, is an Ukrainian charter airline based at Boryspil International Airport. Founded on 28 October 2003, the airline's headquarters is in Kiev; it operates charter flights to destinations in Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Since 2003, the 'Wind Rose' Airlines provided charter flights to Europe and the Middle East. In 2006, regular flights to Moscow and Kaliningrad, Russia, were initiated. In 2008 the company expanded its route network, then sharply reduced it. Since 2008,'Wind Rose' Airlines has focused on charter flights.

From 2010 to the present day, 'Wind Rose' airlines has been licensed to operate regular flights, should the need arise. The airline was the first to carry out flights basing its aircraft at various airports in Ukraine. 'Wind Rose' Airlines is the first Ukrainian airline to operate the following new generation aircraft: Airbus A-321, Airbus A-320, Embraer ERJ-195 and Airbus A-330.

Wind Rose Aviation company operates charter flights from the major cities of Ukraine to Europe and the Middle East. Wind Rose Aviation company operates charter flights to various destinations, including Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Montenegro, Greece, Thailand, Dominican Republic, Israel and the largest cities of Ukraine. Wind Rose Aviation operates charter flights to and from the following destinations (as of July 2014)

Africa

Egypt

Sharm el-Sheikh – Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport
Hurghada – Hurghada International Airport

Caribbean

Dominican Republic

Punta Cana - Punta Cana International Airport

Asia

Hong Kong

Hong Kong - Hong Kong International Airport

Israel

Tel Aviv - Ben Gurion International Airport

Turkey

Antalya – Antalya International Airport

United Arab Emirates

Dubai – Dubai International Airport

Europe

Austria

Salzburg – Salzburg Airport

Bulgaria

Burgas – Burgas Airport
Sofia – Sofia Airport

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tuzla – Tuzla Airport

Croatia

Pula – Pula Airport
Split – Split Airport

Finland

Kittilä – Kittilä Airport
Kuusamo – Kuusamo Airport
Rovaniemi – Rovaniemi Airport

Montenegro

Tivat - Tivat Airport

Netherlands

Eindhoven – Eindhoven Airport

Italy

Naples – Naples Airport

Slovakia

Poprad – Poprad-Tatry Airport

Ukraine

Kiev – Boryspil International Airport
Donetsk – Donetsk International Airport (Suspended)
Kharkiv – Kharkiv International Airport
Dnipropetrovsk – Dnipropetrovsk International Airport
Odessa – Odessa International Airport
Lviv – Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport

Fleet
The Windrose Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of November 2014):
Windrose Airlines Fleet Aircraft In Fleet Seats
Airbus A320-200 2 180
Airbus A321-200 5 218
Airbus A330-200 1 330
Total 8

UKRAINE: Odessa Leads Ukrainian Traffic Recovery

The shape of things to come. Odessa International Airport’s new terminal is scheduled to open during the second quarter of 2016 in time for the peak summer season. It will be able to handle 1,000 passengers per hour and an estimated 2.5 million per annum, with 26 check-in desks and four airbridges.

Located in the south-west corner of Ukraine, close to the border with Moldova, and nearer to Chisinau (150 kilometres) and Bucharest (410 kilometres) than it is to the capital Kiev (440 kilometres), Odessa is Ukraine’s third biggest city with a population of over one million people. Located on the Black Sea it is a centre for culture, industry science and tourism.

Odessa International Airport, which handled over one million passengers in 2013, is currently constructing a new terminal which should be ready for use by the middle of next year. In the space of a decade, between 2003 and 2013, passenger numbers at the airport increased fourfold.

However, developments in the political situation in Ukraine last year resulted in the airport seeing a near 20% drop in passenger numbers to 860,000.

However, in 2015 demand has recovered well, with passenger numbers at a level between those seen in 2012 and the airport’s record year of 2013. According to the airport, it expects to handle around 935,000 passengers in 2015. Whereas across all Ukrainian airports passenger numbers in July 2015 were up a modest 3.8% compared with July 2014, Odessa’s demand was up 32.5%, the most of any Ukrainian airport. A similar analysis for the first seven months of 2015 shows that while total Ukrainian airport traffic is down 3.8% to 5.78 million, Odessa’s traffic is up 6.6% to 534,000.


On 1 July, Georgian Airways launched twice-weekly flights from Tbilisi to Odessa using a mix of its CRJ 200s and 737-500s. There was some traditional dancing on the apron to help mark the occasion.

Based on 2013 data the airport’s SVID score comes out at 10.48 (“poor”) with the peak demand month of August generating more than twice as many passengers as the airport handles in the early part of the year (January to March).
Moscow, Kiev and Istanbul are busiest routes

The airport’s leading routes at this time of year are Moscow, Kiev and Istanbul Atatürk. All of these can be used as hubs to connect on to many other destinations with Aeroflot, Ukraine International Airlines and Turkish Airlines respectively. Other major hubs served include Dubai (twice-weekly by flydubai), Vienna (four times weekly by Austrian Airlines) and Warsaw (six times weekly by LOT Polish Airlines). According to the airport’s flight schedules page on its website, Antalya would appear to be the most popular leisure destination with services provided by Ukraine International Airlines, UTair Ukraine and Wind Rose.



Austrian Airlines returned to Odessa after a five-year absence at the start of the summer 2015 season, operating four weekly flights from Vienna with its Fokker jets. Austrian, Ellinair (from Thessaloniki) and LOT Polish Airlines (from Warsaw) are the only carriers currently serving Odessa from airports in the EU.

Odessa governor wants liberalisation of air services
The recent appointment of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili as governor of Odessa has seen him make aviation development a priority. He has been a major reason for resuming the once frozen terminal construction project, and also Saakashvili has been outspoken on the importance of establishing an Open Skies agreement for Odessa to help generate an increase in inbound tourism and bringing low-cost carriers to the market. At present, tourism only accounts for one to one and a half percent of the region’s economy, which he believes could be greatly increased with a more liberal approach to air service development.