GERMANY: Eurowings To Fire 300 Staff At Head-Office

Eurowings, the low-cost airline owned by Lufthansa , said it would cut a third of the jobs at its headquarters as part of wider efforts to return the German airline group to profitability after a major state bailout.

We have around 1,000 staff at head office and of those we will reduce 300, Eurowings Chief Executive Jens Bischof told a briefing in Duesseldorf.

Germany threw Lufthansa a 9 billion euro ($9.8 billion) lifeline on Monday, agreeing a bailout which gives Berlin a veto in the event of a hostile bid for the airline.

Bischof, in remarks did not give figures for job reductions in other operational areas at Eurowings, which employs a total of around 4,000 staff.

He said the outcome would depend on negotiations with staff representatives and how work is allocated in future between Lufthansa and Eurowings. It would likely take until 2023 before activity returns to last year's levels.

GERMAN airline Eurowings is reactivating its base in Spain holiday island Mallorca in another good sign for the recovery of the Balearic Island tourism sector.

The airline, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, will be taking off from Mallorca capital Palma next Saturday June 27 with a flight to German city Hannover following a break of some three months due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The company will be operating more than 50 flights a week from Palma, going up to nearly 170 by the end of July, with connections to 16 airports in Germany and Austria.

To begin with Eurowings will operate with two A-320 aircraft stationed at Palma’s Son San Joan airport, going up to three over the summer

We are very pleased that Eurowings Europe is able to take off again, commented Eurowings Europe Managing Director Robert Jahn.

He also thanked company employees, who he said had had to endure a lot of uncertainty and show staying power in the past weeks.

Eurowings will take off again at the end of June with its international flight operation Eurowings Europe. The first flight after a break of around three months will take place on 27 June at 07:45 from Palma to Hanover.

With the reopening of the Mallorca base, Eurowings is underlining its position as Germany’s largest holiday airline. With the additional aircraft stationed on the Balearic island, Eurowings is operating a flight schedule that supplements numerous Mallorca connections at major Eurowings locations such as Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn with additional destinations in Germany and Austria.

Eurowings primarily operates flights from Mallorca to Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Hanover, Leipzig, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Munich, Munster-Osnabruck, Nuremberg and Saarbrucken. In Austria, Eurowings connects Salzburg and Innsbruck with Mallorca.

With the beginning of the summer holidays in some German federal states, Eurowings will again offer more than 50 Mallorca flights per week. During the peak holiday season from the end of July, the number of flights will then increase to 168 weekly Mallorca flights.

A total of 16 airports in Germany and Austria will then be connected to Mallorca with Eurowings again. The airline had opened its first location in non-German-speaking countries in 2017 on Mallorca.

Eurowings thus became the leading carrier for flights to Mallorca to Germany and Austria.

With the end of the worldwide travel warning and the lifting of travel restrictions for Spain, customer interest in sunny destinations is growing by leaps and bounds. Therefore the airline has decided to reactivate its crews based in Palma.

Eurowings Europe will initially start operations with two Airbus A320s and increase to three aircraft over the summer. The airline also operates additional international stations for Eurowings in Salzburg (Austria) and Pristina (Kosovo).

We are very pleased that Eurowings Europe is able to take off again, said Robert Jahn, Managing Director of Eurowings Europe. I would like to thank our guests for their patience and understanding during this difficult phase.

And I would especially like to thank our Eurowings Europe team, who had to endure a lot of uncertainty and show staying power in the past weeks.

We are all the more pleased that we can now start again and be there for our holiday guests.

Mallorca is booming with Eurowings, which uses A330 wide-body to Palma Airport.

Eurowings is offering more than 160 additional flights by Airbus A330 from Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf over the next three months.

Eurowings is strengthening its position as Germany’s largest holiday airline. The Lufthansa subsidiary is expanding its route portfolio in the direction of South-East Europe and will be flying to Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast on a large scale for the first time in summer 2020.

The two new up-and-coming holiday destinations being offered are Varna and Burgas.

Flights will be available from six German airports from 6 July. In addition to the major Eurowings stations in Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Stuttgart, the airports of Munich, Hanover and Leipzig will also be directly connected to the Bulgarian coast from July.

The airline’s programme will then include more than 20 weekly flights to Burgas and Varna. Among the European sunshine destinations, Bulgaria is becoming the new holiday favourite for inexpensive summer holidays, both for families and for the younger public.

EGYPT: Lufthansa And British Airways Suspend Flights To Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh And Cairo

Lufthansa has followed the UK British Airways in temporarily flight suspension to the Egyptian capital as a precaution for security reasons, according to the company's statement, cited by local media.

Lufthansa has said in a statement that as safety is the number one priority of Lufthansa, the airline has temporarily suspended its flights to Cairo today as a precaution, while further assessment is being made.

Lufthansa canceled flights from Frankfurt and Munich to Cairo but is expected to resume service to the Egyptian capital on Sunday. The similar statement was issued earlier by British Airways.

"We constantly review our security arrangements at all our airports around the world and have suspended flights to Cairo for seven days as a precaution to allow for further assessment. The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our priority, and we would never operate an aircraft unless it was safe to do so", the statement said.

A spokesperson for the UK-based company has said that the flights were suspended "for seven days as a precaution to allow for further assessment".

Earlier, the United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised passengers against air travel to and from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh but has not issued a similar warning on Cairo.

"There’s a heightened risk of terrorism against aviation. Additional security measures are in place for flights departing from Egypt to the UK. You should co-operate fully with security officials at airports", the FCO said.

British staff had been checking security at Cairo airport on Wednesday and Thursday. They reportedly gave no further details.

Russia suspended civilian air traffic to Egypt in November 2015 after a bomb brought down a Russian plane, which took off from Sharm el-Sheikh en route to St. Petersburg, killing all 224 people on board.

Before regular flights between Moscow and Cairo were resumed in April 2018, Egypt had to seriously enhance security at airports. Charter flights between Russia and Egyptian resorts are yet reportedly to be resumed.

The suspension reportedly resulted in massive losses in Egypt's tourism industry, since this was one of the most popular destinations for Russian tourists. It is estimated that Egyptian authorities have spent millions of dollars to ensure the airports’ security.

British Airways said Saturday it had suspended flights to Cairo for seven days as a precautionary measure following a security review.

The British flag carrier said it would not operate its aircraft unless it felt it was safe to do so.

The British Foreign Office updated its travel advice on Saturday with the British Airways suspension. The Lufthansa website also included a link to the British warning page.

In its travel advice for British nationals heading to Egypt, the Foreign Office in London warns: “There’s a heightened risk of terrorism against aviation.”

“Additional security measures are in place for flights departing from Egypt to the UK. You should co-operate fully with security officials at airports.”

Britain advises against all but essential travel by air to or from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Sinai peninsula.

“Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Egypt. Although most attacks occur in North Sinai, there is a risk of terrorist attacks across the country,” Britons are warned.

Britain canceled flights to Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh in 2015 after jihadists bombed a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from the Red Sea resort, killing more than 220 people on board.

An estimated 415,000 British nationals visited Egypt in 2018.


Tourism Observer

SCOTLAND: Loganair To Commence Glasgow To Düsseldorf Flights From 31st March 2019

Loganair, Scotland’s National Airline, has announced its first destination in Germany. From the 31st of March 2019, the airline will start daily flights from Glasgow (GLA) to Düsseldorf (DUS), Germany’s third busiest airport.

The airline will be taking over the daily route from Eurowings, which will ax it from their network effective the 30th March 2019. Loganair’s timing for the launch means the route will be continued without any disruption.

Loganair has stepped in to preserve the GLA-DUS and will use it as a stepping stone for future expansion into Europe.

The airline’s move has also helped safeguard jobs supported by the route, as Düsseldorf remains an important region for businesses between Scotland and Germany.

The route also secures the continuation of incoming German tourists from Düsseldorf to Scotland, as well as supporting many industries like tourism, food & drink, hospitality, energy, trade, and telecoms.

The airline plans to operate the service with its first Embraer 145, which was transferred from parent company BMI Regional. The airframe G-SAJC (Ex G-RJXF) was delivered to the Scottish Airline on the 17th of December 2018.

The flight will depart Glasgow at 10:20 and will arrive into Dusseldorf at 13:10 Local Time. The return flight will depart Dusseldorf at 13:50 Local Time, arriving back into Glasgow at 14:40.

Jonathan Hinkles, Loganair’s Managing Director, noted how the airline’s new Düsseldorf route is Loganair’s first foray into Germany, heralding another significant milestone for the airline as our reach extends into continental Europe.

We’re now able to carry passengers further and faster since adding Embraer 145 jets into the fleet, an important development for international travel, he said.

The coming months are set to be an exciting period for Loganair, as we continue to provide excellent service to customers in our Scottish heartlands while setting our sights into Europe.

Paul White, Head of Aviation at Glasgow Airport admitted that Loganair’s decision to introduce its first route to Germany is a landmark moment for the airline and welcome news for Glasgow Airport.

He added, Düsseldorf continues to be a popular destination and this new service from Scotland’s airline will provide our passengers with an even greater choice.

The introduction of the daily service to this fantastic city will also further strengthen our strong links with Germany, which currently includes routes to Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich.

Loganair passengers will also be able to enjoy a vast train and airline network at Düsseldorf. It is unclear, however, whether the Scottish carrier will seek further relationships with airlines as far as codeshare is concerned.

Overall, it is great to see Loganair with yet another significant announcement after winning the Prestigious European Region Airline of the Year award, on top of this it recently announced a codeshare with Qatar Airways, as well as taking over the Isle of Man route, on behalf of British Airways from Eastern Airways at the end of Summer 2018.

Meanwhile, Travelers can look forward to flights connecting Carlisle and the Lake District with the South East of England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from June 4, with Carlisle Lake District Airport (CLDA) unveiling Loganair, Scotland’s Airline, as its airline partner today.

Loganair will operate eight flights per-day across the working week and a total of 12 at weekends, connecting Cumbria and the Lake District, which receives 45 million visitors per year, to London Southend Airport, Belfast City Airport and Dublin Airport.

The routes will go on sale from Monday 12 March, with all services commencing on 4 June when CLDA plans to launch commercial and business passenger flights for the first time since 1993.

Kate Willard, head of corporate projects at Stobart Group, said: “Stobart Group is committed to delivering a brilliant air travel experience across the UK and Ireland. We are therefore delighted to be announcing flights with Loganair connecting London, Belfast and Dublin with Carlisle and the Lake District.

“There is huge demand from London, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to visit Carlisle, which is home to major businesses and serves as a gateway to the Lake District, two UNSCO World Heritage Sites and South Scotland.”

The route to Dublin also offers additional connectivity ease to travellers as they will be able to clear US immigration checks in the comfort of Dublin Airport at Terminal 2 – meaning they will land State side as a hassle free domestic passenger.

Jonathan Hinkles, managing director of Loganair, said: “We’re delighted to become the first operator at the new Carlisle Lake District Airport, and will be opening up Loganair’s services to a whole new range of customers. With frequent services on each of the three routes, we have every confidence that these new flights will transform access to and from the Lake District for many thousands of customers each year.”

Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: “The new flights from Carlisle Lake District Airport will be a major boost for Cumbria’s connectivity and our £2.72billion tourism industry.

“We welcomed 45 million visitors to the county last year, but a large proportion were day trippers to the Lakes. Our marketing strategy has a key focus on encouraging visitors to stay in the county as a whole.

“New flights though Carlisle will create alternative travel options and Cumbria Tourism is working in partnership with the Airport to encourage new and existing visitors to enjoy more of our iconic landscapes and world-class experiences.”

Nigel Wilkinson, board member of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The opening up of new air routes into Cumbria, providing more direct access to attractions and the county’s newest UNESCO World Heritage site, is a boost for the visitor economy here.

Cumbria LEP is contributing £4.95m to help the airport improve its runway and terminal, an important investment which will enable flights to and from Carlisle and provide wider global access via international hubs.”

John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, said:
“I am excited by the new flights to and from Carlisle Lake District Airport and what they will mean for Carlisle and the surrounding area.

“It is vital that we have the infrastructure to support taking our local economy to the next level. The development of Carlisle Lake District Airport will have a huge impact on our ability to grow economically.

Many local businesses will be able to expand as a result of these new flights and it will also encourage other businesses to choose Cumbria as a viable location.

“Not only will businesses benefit from an increased level of connectivity in and out of Cumbria, but it will also encourage holiday makers to choose Cumbria, the Borders and the Lake District as an attractive destination as journey times will be reduced by the introduction of commercial flights.”

James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, said: “I am delighted that Carlisle Lake District Airport plans to launch commercial and business flights on 4 June.

The routes mean that the South East and London will be much better connected to Cumbria and the Lake District, which will be boost the economies of both regions and drive tourism, John Stevenson MP and myself hope to lead business delegations from both areas to increase links between them over the next few years.

“I look forward, in particular, to seeing the Rochford and the Southend business community benefiting from this new and exciting connection to the North of England.”

Tourism Observer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Tourism Observer,

FINLAND: Finnair To Launch Flights to Hanover, Germany

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Lufthansa Flight LH428 In Emergency Landing

Lufthansa LH428 non stop flight from Munich, Germany to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina, USA took off Sunday at 12.40h Munich time.

The captain of the Lufthansa Airbus 330-343 declared an emergency when approaching Irish Airspace and turned around.

The flight was diverted to Glasgow due to an unknown emergency.

The plane lowered altitude to 15,000 feet and stayed at this altitude bypassing Glasgow, bypassing Birmingham, crossing over to the Netherland, Belgium and just crossed back into German airspace at 15.57 German time – all keeping a low altitude of 15,000 feet, less than 5000 meters.

Lufthansa Public Relations shortly after LH428 was in emergency mode.

LH428 was approaching Munich at 16.25 and Lufthansa putting an end to the mystery around this fight.

Lufthansa flight LH428 en route from Munich to Charlotte had to return to Munich today as a purely precautionary measure due to a momentary unusual smell in the cabin.

The safety on board was not impacted at any time.

Lufthansa regrets any inconvenience caused and will provide an alternative aircraft that will fly the passengers to Charlotte tomorrow.

The safety of our passengers and crew members is our top priority at all times.



Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Lufthansa To Operate 85 Additional Flights To Russia World Cup

Lufthansa Group is offering 85 additional flights to Russia on occasion of the 2018 World Cup.

This means that football fans have up to 18,000 additional seats than usual to travel to the tournament and support their teams.

Lufthansa will be increasing its offering to Moscow (Domodedovo), namely flights from Frankfurt will be increased from four to up to six times a day, and from Munich from two daily flights to up to four flights a day.

Starting 1 June until 31 July, an Airbus A330, with flight numbers LH1440 and LH1441 will be operating between Frankfurt and Moscow once a day, except on Fridays.

Depending on the aircraft configuration, passengers will have up to 255 seats to choose from, including 42 Business Class seats for more comfort.

Passengers will have a great in-flight entertainment program to choose from.

More than 160 feature films, over 250 TV options, more than 200 music albums and highlights from the world of football to get in the mood for the tournament.

During the flight you can even watch live World Cup matches broadcasted via the Live TV Channels on your in-seat screen and via your personal electronic device via FlyNet connection.

As a partner of the German Football Association (DFB), Lufthansa will by flying the German national team from Frankfurt to Moscow Vnukovo Airport on 12 June.

For further information or to book Lufthansa flights, please visit LH.com or call the Lufthansa Service Center at (069) 86 799 799, rates may apply.

Flights can also be booked at Lufthansa travel agency partners and at Lufthansa sales counters at airports.


Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Lufthansa Introduces A La Carte Dining

Lufthansa has announced a new a la carte dining option for economy and premium economy passengers on long-haul flights.

From May customers will be able to choose from seven paid-for meals costing between €13 and €33, with choices including grilled steak, a Japanese Bento Box, hearty Bavarian snacks, an Asian vitality menu with quinoa, Mediterranean pasta with shrimp, and a Thai curry.

The meals will be available on almost all of the carrier’s intercontinental flights from Frankfurt and Munich, and can be ordered at lufthansa.com up to 24 hours before departure.

Lufthansa is keen to stress that the a la carte options do not replace the existing food and drink offerings in Economy and Premium Economy Class, but complement them at the passengers’ individual request.

The German carrier joins a number of major airlines in offering a la carte service alongside the free meal option.

Air France recently added a My Fun Menu to its existing paid-for meal range, featuring a burger, crisps, yoghurt and doughnut, while British Airways offers a paid-for menu on selected flights from Heathrow.

British Airways meals come with three courses presented on business class china dishes on a tray with a proper wine glass, bread, crackers, butter and cheese on the side.

The drinks are the normal economy choice, you don’t get business class wines, for example.

Sinead Ferguson, BA’s menu design manager, said: When you’re asking customers to pay, you want to give them a much more enhanced meal, and I believe we have achieved that.

One of the meals I was keen not to do was a curry as we can serve a curry throughout the cabin – people can eat that for free. I was also keen not to give vegetarians a plate of pasta.

The pre-paid meals are available to order online on outbound flights from London Heathrow to most long-haul destinations from 30 days to 24 hours before departure.

BA has extended the offering to outbound flights from Gatwick, as well as to various inbound flights as well.

We’d like to get it on inbound routes but it creates a few more challenges as around the world we have various caterers and the most important thing is people get the same standard as going out, said Talbot.

Talbot added that for those not wanting to fork out extra on food, BA tickets will always include a free standard economy class meal.

In December 2013, in an effort to reduce passenger disappointment at not getting their first choice of meal in premium economy, business and first.

BA introduced the option of pre-ordering food from the existing onboard menu at no extra charge on routes out of Heathrow.

Talbot said: Pre-order for premium customers will start in April next year from Gatwick, and from London City to JFK, so there is guaranteed choice.

Beginning with one of BA’s most popular starters: vegetarian sushi. The tray pops with colour – I enjoyed both the beetroot goat cheese maki and the fire roasted red pepper maki.

A grilled green asparagus nigiri is offered as well, alongside slices of pickled ginger and wasabi with a cute plastic fish-shaped bottle of soy sauce.

A fairly generous portion of chicken pay ca paw with egg rice and wok-fried vegetables serves as the main.

It is worth noting that the chicken is coated in a corn flour-type breading and, while it was tender and the sauce was nice with little spice, the coating was not quite as crisp as I had hoped.

Ferguson wanted to create a meal that was rich in “umami” – the fifth taste after salt, sweet, bitter and sour that I best described as savoury.

She said: Tomatoes, mackerel, mushrooms, Parmesan and soy, for example, are all umami-rich ingredients. In the design of airline meals it makes a difference as our taste bids are impaired at altitude.

Instead of a traditional side of bread, the meal offers crunchy prawn crackers kept in an air-tight bag with sweet chilli sauce. The dessert is a smooth green tea tiramisu.

Catering to those who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle while travelling, this tray has a calorific value of 838kcal not including bread, cheese and crackers and costs £15.

Thai-style avocado rolls with a sesame dipping sauce serve as the tray’s starter, with the main being sustainably sourced poached cod with steamed seasonal vegetables presented en papillote, a method of cooking where food is put into a folded paper pouch and then baked.

A Kaiser roll, butter, cheddar cheese and crackers come on the side. Dessert is a Greek yoghurt and honey mousse bar with grapefruit carpaccio.

Although I am not a huge fan of fish, I found the en papillote method to be quite nice especially when paired with the shredded steamed vegetables. It didn’t have much flavour, though, and the fish still had the skin on.

The rice paper around the rolls was too thick but the dessert was divine – not too simplistic or light. For a healthy meal, the overall tray was quite high in calories.

Vegetarians are often greeted with the same meal over and over again – pasta. Pasta can be great, but BA wanted to offer something better.

Priced at £15, this vegetarian meal even had my taste buds buzzing, and I’m a meat eater.

The tray was full of colour, and with my first bite of the glazed goat cheese with marinated beetroot salad, I knew I was in for a treat.

To be honest, I didn’t even know I liked beets – in fact, I have to say this was my favourite starter from all of the trays.

The main course was polenta crespelle – substantial Italian-style pancakes stuffed with mascarpone cheese and wilted spinach with a wild mushroom and truffle cream sauce.

The presentation was appealing, as was the flavour, although the sauce was a bit rich and I am unsure if I would be able to eat the entire portion.

However, for a vegetarian dish I believe it would be quite filling and is a huge step up from a quick and easy pasta.

A Kaiser roll and crackers with cheese and butter are again offered on the side, while the dessert is a lemon meringue pie, featuring a homemade lemon curd.

Paired with a perfect meringue, the flavour of real lemon made it almost impossible not to gobble down the entire thing. This was definitely my favourite dessert.

For £16, travellers can enjoy a traditional English meal. The Taste of Britain tray features Loch Fyne smoked salmon with crème frâiche and caper berries to start.

The salmon was very fresh with understated presentation making it a nice, simple choice with a heavier main to follow. It works nicely with the Kaiser roll; crackers and cheese are again provided.

The main is slow-roasted Wiltshire pork belly locally sourced. I felt the pork got most of its flavour from the fat, which wasn’t what I was looking for.

However, the celeriac mash and sautéed broccolini that it was paired with was quite nice.

To finish is a classic dessert of summer pudding filled with juicy berries not too sweet nor too sour and Cornish clotted cream on the side. One of my favourites.

Gourmet menu

Priced at £18, the Gourmet Dining meal is the most frequently ordered tray. The intention was to create a truly luxurious tray of food.

Passengers begin with poached king prawns dressed in a simple Marie Rose sauce, which has sliced mushrooms running through it.

At first, this may look and sound like an odd pairing, and while I wondered if the sauce was a bit too ordinary for the juicy prawns, it was surprisingly appetising. It was my second-favourite starter.

The main was braised cheek of beef from Herefordshire, which was perfectly cooked and tender, with smooth potato mousseline and roasted root vegetables surrounding it.

Accompanied by a Madeira shallot jus with a thicker consistency, I was surprised to find that it was not too rich, or at least not quite as rich as the sauce featured in the vegetarian meal.

The usual Kaiser roll, spread and crackers are included on the tray, along with BA’s first chocolate-based dessert.

The decadent chocolate ganache bar with passion fruit coulis is an unusual combination of sweet with a hint of tart fruit. Alongside crushed, toasted hazelnuts, the flavours really work together well.

Great British Breakfast

This is the only tray I didn’t try. Priced at £15, it appears to be step up from the typical economy breakfast.

The traditional English breakfast includes a Cumberland sausage, bacon, a potato rosti, a grilled tomato and a mature Cheddar cheese omelette.

There are no baked beans as this would have made the dish look messy after re-heating.

The tray also features seasonal fruits, freshly baked vanilla and chocolate madeleines, bread, chunky cherry compote, Greek yoghurt and a bag of homemade granola to sprinkle on top.

Lufthansa Group carrier Swiss also offers a similar a la carte menu on intercontinental flights.

Air France has launched a new My Fun Menu option for passengers on its long-haul services departing Paris CDG and Orly.

The paid-for menu – which adds to the carrier’s existing A La Carte choices on long-haul flights – includes a burger made from French beef, with Emmental cheese and Bearnaise sauce, as well as a packet of Kettle crisps, a mini Yop yoghurt, a doughnut with caramel filling, and a bag of Haribo sweets.

The option is available for purchase for flights departing from April 1, and costs €13, or 4,500 Flying Blue miles.

Air France says that the new feel good menu will delight the taste buds of the most demanding gourmands, although it adds that it notably meets the expectations of teenagers and young adults.

The airline now offers a total of five paid-for meal choices on long-haul flights, including a seafood Ocean Menu, and a menu designed France’s Lenotre group of restaurants and boutiques.

Air France continues to offer a complimentary food and drink offering on its long-haul flights, described as follows on its website:

The meals combine a gourmet touch, balance and originality, providing a choice of two hot dishes accompanied by a fresh box containing fruit, cheese and butter.

This complete meal also comes with coffee, tea and an after-dinner drink served by the cabin crew.



Tourism Observer

QATAR: Doha’s Hamad International Airport Is World’s Sixth 5 Star Airport

Hamad International Airport (HIA) becomes the sixth airport in the world to receive the ‘5-Star Airport’ designation by Skytrax, the London-based aviation institute and the gold standard for conveying the passenger’s voice in airport and airline rankings. This makes HIA the first ever airport in the Middle East to earn this highly sought after and acclaimed title.

The prestigious 5-Star Airport rating is only awarded to airports achieving the highest overall Quality Performance. The 5-Star Airport rating recognises those airports providing excellent facilities for customers combined with high quality airport staff service. Airport Quality ranking covers frontline areas for departures, arrival and transfer, including airport facilities, customer service, security, immigration, shop outlets and food and beverage facilities.

The highest rating – five stars – has previously only been awarded to five other airports worldwide: Singapore, Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo-Haneda and Munich. This recognition is particularly timely as it comes after a year of reaching a number of strategic milestones at HIA, including the introduction of its iBeacon enabled mobile app, the launch of the Smart Airport features in the terminal, the operation of the dual passenger train shuttle to concourses D and E and the opening of multiple duty free stores.

Moreover, HIA has continued to work closely with Qatar Museums adding multiple international and local art installations across the terminal.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: 'Hamad International Airport was designed and built in the modern era, taking into account what passengers want most - convenience and service. HIA more than exceeds passenger expectations by providing what passengers want in an environment that is beautiful, thoughtful and welcoming. HIA’s success is apparent in the fact that it is now at capacity, and the third phase of its development is highly anticipated.

The airport serves more than 30 million passengers every year, and will grow to 50 million, yet each passenger can design their own experience at the airport, whether it is shopping in the world-class Qatar Duty Free premium stores, relaxing in one of its 12 lounges, resting comfortably in the Airport Hotel or using one of the many amenities at the Vitality Spa including the squash courts and the swimming pool. The airport experience is designed to be as memorable as the journey'.

Engineer Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport added his own voice when he said: 'Joining the elite of airports and being the first airport in the Middle East to earn five stars from Skytrax is an honour, and a direct result of the thousands of people who ensure HIA operates smoothly every day, every flight.

No matter how long our guests are with us, we strive to make their journey flawless and memorable. This acknowledgement is highly gratifying, and will continue to motivate us to create an exceptional experience for everyone'.

Mr. Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax then commented on HIA's new ranking: 'We extend our congratulations to Hamad International Airport for achieving this 5-Star Airport recognition, as well as being the first airport in the Middle East to gain this status. This accolade brings the challenge that 5-Star Airports find their customers become ever more demanding, and we have every confidence that HIA will continue to both maintain and improve standards as we move forward into 2017'.

With just three years of operations, HIA has garnered world-class awards and recognition, including Skytrax Middle East’s Best Airport in 2015 and 2016, Skytrax Best Staff Service in the Middle East 2016 and previously Best Airport Award at the Future Travel Experience (FTE) Asia Awards in 2015.

GERMANY: airberlin Needs More Than 500 New Cabin Attendants

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GERMANY: Lufthansa Will Grow Eurowings,

For years, as low cost airlines have grown in Europe, the Lufthansa Group mostly has stuck to what it knows best — carrying business travelers and higher-end leisure customers from its four key hubs, Zurich, Vienna, Frankfurt, and Munich, to key world capitals in Europe and elsewhere.

But like every other legacy airline group in Europe, Lufthansa, which owns Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines, is feeling more squeeze than ever before from discounters like Ryanair and EasyJet. So after making some half-hearted attempts in recent years to try to compete with lower cost airlines, Lufthansa Group is telling investors it finally has an aggressive plan to thwart the competition.

Lufthansa will grow its low cost subsidiary, Eurowings, in the coming years, hoping passengers will choose it over better-known competition. The airline is not new — it started flying in 1994, and Lufthansa Group assumed control about a decade ago — but until recently it has been a bit player, with a fleet and customer base far smaller than Ryanair’s or EasyJet’s.

Now, through proposed deals with Brussels Airlines and Air Berlin, Lufthansa Group is poised to turn Eurowings into the third-largest point-to-point airline in Europe by next summer, according to Group CEO Carsten Spohr. Eurowings, which historically has not flown traditional hubs, has a much different model than the hub-and-spoke full-service airlines of the Lufthansa Group.

Soon, Spohr said, Eurowings could have more than 160 aircraft, possibly giving it enough scale to compete with Ryanair, which is a little more than twice that size. That’s a major jump from the 30 or so aircraft Eurowings had a few years ago, before it merged operations with Germanwings, another Lufthansa-owned discounter. It’s also a big increase from the roughly 90 aircraft Eurowings operates today.

The decision to grow Eurowings comes as Ryanair, Europe’s most powerful discounter, expands into Frankfurt, Lufthansa’s top hub, for the first time. Ryanair made its announcement on Wednesday as Lufthansa Group reported its third quarter earnings and shared plans for Eurowings’ expansion. Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr told analysts he was watching the development “with great interest,” promising his company would “react as appropriate.”

Eurowings still does not operate from Frankfurt, though that could change at some point. Lufthansa Group has been increasingly willing to permit Eurowings to operate from its hubs, with the carrier expanding in Vienna this year and Munich next year. Eurowings is also beginning to expand its long-haul operation with widebody aircraft.

“Lufthansa has built an unrivaled operation here in Frankfurt that operates probably the strongest network of all European airlines in Europe,” Spohr said. “We are certainly not nervous to take on more competition. As a matter of fact we are competing already in many airports in Europe.”

Having expanded Eurowings by merging its brand with Germanwings, Spohr is now turning his attention to inorganic growth. New aircraft will help Germanwings add point-to-point routes outside of Germany.

“Eurowings is already the market leader in direct traffic in our home markets,” Spohr said. “But we also want to grow in other markets, and for that, we need partners.”

Perhaps most interesting is Lufthansa Group’s recent decision to wet-lease about 35 aircraft from Air Berlin for six years, beginning in March. Under the agreement, Air Berlin pilots and flight attendants will work the flights, but Eurowings will sell tickets and market the operation. It’s a relatively unusual arrangement, with wet-leases more commonly used by smaller airlines and charter carriers, but Spohr notes it’s cheaper than buying new planes.

“We plan to increase our presence in attractive European markets where we may already be active today,” Spohr said about plans for the Air Berlin fleet.

The cash will be vital for Air Berlin, which has been struggling to make money, disappointing Etihad Airways, one of its larger shareholders. And for Lufthansa Group, the deal helps sideline a competitor. That’s important, Spohr said Wednesday, because the European market has seen fewer airline mergers than its U.S. counterpart.

“Another reason why this step is so important is that it helps drive consolidation, and thereby the capacity discipline that’s so urgently needed in the European airline industry,” Spohr said.

Lufthansa Group also plans to transfer some Brussels Airlines aircraft to Eurowings, assuming the company is able to acquire the 55 percent of the Belgium-based carrier it does not already own. Lufthansa Group’s board approved the acquisition in September, and the transaction is supposed to close early next year.

But on Wednesday’s call, Spohr said it is too early to know how Eurowings would use the aircraft. He said the company will first focus on absorbing the Air Berlin aircraft.

“We’ll take the year of ‘17 to jointly analyze the integration to Eurowings when it comes to brand, when it comes to overhead, and which synergies will be realized,” Spohr said.

GERMANY: Towns You May Wish To Visit In Germany

Germany is one of the most in-demand tourist destinations in the world, as tourists from the world over flock to experience the history, culture and sense of grandeur embodied by Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and other great cities.

Going beyond the big cities like Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, we delve deeper into the German hinterland to find some of its undiscovered gems. From quaint medieval towns to breathtaking natural beauty, Germany's got it all.

Even smaller towns like Heidelberg and Regensburg have become ever more popular stops on the tourist trail.

That's why we're bringing you the ten most beautiful German towns you've probably never heard of, so that you when you're planning your next trip you can enjoy unspoilt charm in the serenity it deserves.

The stunning beauty of certain regions like Bavaria and the Rhineland is well documented, but the northern and eastern states also have incredible places up their sleeves.

Because so many German towns and cities were flattened during the war, places that were left unscathed and still have their original old towns are all the more marked out by their rarity.

While over 70 million people visited Germany from abroad in 2014, a record high, Germans themselves also like to explore their own back yard, perhaps a tribute to the tremendous variety.

Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 Damaged On Landing At Mumbai

A Lufthansa Airbus A330-300, registration D-AIKR performing flight LH-764 from Munich, Germany to Mumbai, India with 163 passengers, landed on Mumbai’s runway 27 but burst both left and right main gear tyres (4 tyres in total) and became disabled on the runway about abeam taxiway S7 approximately 1830 meters/6000 feet past the runway threshold.

The airport needed to switch all operations to the secondary runway 14/32 for 15 hours until the tyres were replaced and the A330 was towed off the runway.

A passenger reported there was fire observed at the landing gear, emergency services responded and foamed the landing gear. The crew handled the scary situation calmly and kept all passengers safe.

A ground observer reported it appeared a number of tyres burst resulting in a small fire at the landing gear.

Emergency services reported they were alerted after the aircraft had landed.

The airline reported there was no problem prior to touch down. The return flight LH-765 was cancelled, the 223 passengers were taken to hotels.

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudia To Sell Bonds To Buy Planes

Saudi Arabia’s main airline said it’s planning to sell as much as SAR5 billion (US$1.3 billion) of Islamic bonds in the second quarter to refinance loans and buy planes, becoming the latest issuer in the kingdom to tap debt markets for cash amid an oil slump.

The carrier known as Saudia is in negotiations with local banks to oversee its first-ever bond offering, Saleh Al Jasser, the director general of Saudi Arabian Airlines, said in an interview at the Sakhir airbase during the Bahrain Airshow on Friday. The plans are part of a wider Islamic bond program the company will turn to “as and when needed” for funding, he said.

“We will be initiating a sukuk program for the purpose of refinancing some of our existing loans and also to help finance our growth plans, to finance the acquisition of fleet,” Al Jasser said.

Borrowers in the oil-exporting nation are turning to debt markets in greater numbers amid a slump in crude prices that is worsening the nation’s budget deficit. Saudia’s sale comes as the airline, which bought 50 Airbus Group SE planes at the Paris Airshow last summer, seeks to boost its fleet to 200 by 2020. The carrier is following Dubai-based Emirates airline and FlyDubai in issuing sukuk.

The airline will take delivery next week of three Boeing Co. 787-9 and one 777-300ER, which will be used for flights to Paris, Guangzhou, Casablanca and Dubai, in addition to domestic routes, Al Jasser said. Saudia will add domestic and regional flights this year and in 2017, after announcing the start of services to Algeria, Ankara in Turkey, Munich, Germany and the Maldives, he said.

Saudi Arabia plans to raise as much as 20 billion riyals at a debt auction next week to finance its budget deficit, two people familiar with the plan said this week, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The International Monetary Fund predicts the country’s fiscal shortfall will reach 14 percent of gross domestic product this year.

SOUTH AFRICA: Emirates To Make More International Flights To Cape Town

Emirates Airline has announced a third daily flight between Cape Town and Dubai, starting July 4.

Flight EK778 departs Dubai at 10h50 and arrives in Cape Town at 18h30.

Flight EK779 departs Cape Town at 20h05 and arrives in Dubai at 07h30.

The airline now has connections to New York, London, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Rome, Sydney, Athens, Mumbai, Shanghai, Milan, Beijing, Munich, Hong Kong, Phuket, Bangkok, Singapore, Medina, Deli, Male and more.

ZIMBABWE: Blood Dripping From Plane Leads To Discovery Of Dead Body

The Western Global Airlines cargo plane impounded by security services at the Harare International Airport after the handling staff discovered a bleeding corpse aboard

Ground handling staff at Harare International Airport on Sunday discovered the body of a man stashed in the stowaway of a United States cargo plane.

It was not clear where the six crew-member plane, registration N545JN, was coming from or was destined, but informed sources said it had come from Munich, Germany, and was bound for Durban, South Africa.

The plane stopped at Harare International Airport to refuel and ground handling staff noticed blood dripping from the aircraft air conditioning vault.

“The jet crew was questioned and they said they hit a bird in the air. But then a search was made and the body of an adult male fell out,” a source said.

The crew was reportedly arrested.

Officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe could not immediately comment.

Police spokesperson senior assistant commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the case and said police were investigating the matter.

Mystery deepens in Zimbabwe’s aviation circles about events surrounding the discovery of an unidentified body of a man which fell out of a US freighter, stuffed with South African Rand, after it landed at Harare International Airport on Sunday.

One of the suspicions which has set tongues wagging in Harare about the extraordinary incident, is that after Zimbabwe officials saw blood dripping from the plane, the US flight engineer put on latex gloves before he opened a door, high on the plane, near the site of the blood and other fluids dripping from the aircraft.

The Equipment and Navigation Accessories (ENA) door of the MD 11 freighter is high up on the aircraft, not easily entered from the ground, and almost impossible to open midair, according to aviation experts who have seen the American freighter at Harare International Airport after it landed “during an emergency” on Sunday.

It was allegedly carrying 57 tons of South African Rand, and two reserve bank officials are still on the aircraft guarding the money which was due to be delivered to Durban.

The plane had on board the US captain, the co-pilot, a relief pilot, an engineer and a load master and the two officials from the South African Reserve Bank.

But a reconstruction of the time before the plane landed is now being examined by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

The US pilot, whose name is not public yet, nor is he known in aviation circles in Zimbabwe as the US freight company had never landed in Harare before, requested emergency landing to refuel after being refused permission in Mozambique.

The US pilot was “vague” about why he needed permission to land in Harare.

“The transcripts show three requests and none are clear. But he was flying low and so probably did therefore use a lot of fuel.”

Eventually permission was given and it landed.

Workers from the National Handling Co, according to information in the aviation world in Harare, went to attend to the plane and noticed blood high up on the plane, near the ENA door.

They were allegedly told it was caused by collision with a bird.

But drops of blood were still coming from that door area, and state security officials stationed at the airport insisted it be opened.

“So the engineer from the plane, for some reason put on latex gloves and opened the door which is quite high up the aircraft, and thwack, a fully clothed body of a black man fell out,” said an aviation insider.

Everyone around the plane was shocked and several noticed that there were burns to the dead man’s head, probably from ducts inside the ENA compartment. The dead man had no identification on him.

His body remained hanging out of the plane on the ground until Zimbabwe Republic Police arrived to take it away.

There are suspicions and speculation in aviation circles in Harare now that the US crew may have tried to dump the body during the flight from Munich, Germany, but could not open the ENA door from inside the aircraft over Mozambique because of pressure, and wanted to refuel in Harare and somehow dump the body after take off from Harare International.

The dead man is being investigated in Harare, but there are no qualified pathologists left in Zimbabwe.

Some say the US pilot is in detention, but informed sources in Harare say the four US airmen are in Meikles, a five-star hotel in central Harare.

Relief pilots have arrived in Harare to fly the plane on to its destination, Durban, when the aircraft is cleared for take off.

It is understood that the investigations are covering a number of areas as the matter is shrouded in mystery.

The investigations are aimed at establishing how the person died and why the plane ended up landing in Harare with a corpse on board.

Police have also engaged the services of Interpol to establish the nationality of the deceased person.

Further, the investigations seek to establish whether the body is not carrying viruses that may cause the spread of diseases here.

It is understood that the body was in an advanced stage of decomposition. Again, it is believed that what had been initially suspected to be blood dripping on the plane could actually be a combination of human fluids associated with a decomposing body.

SLOVENIA: Air India And Adria Airways Sign Code-Share Agreement

Adria Airways – the Airline of Slovenia and Air India have signed a Code-Share Agreement to enhance bilateral cooperation between India and Slovenia. The code share will result in better collaboration and sharing of air services between India and Slovenia.

The Code-Share Agreement was signed by Mr. Rohit Nandan – Chairman & Managing Director Air India and Mr Mark Anzur – President Management Board & CEO, Adria Airways at the Ministry of Civil Aviation, New Delhi today in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and Karl Viktor Erjavec, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Slovenia .

On this occasion Mr Mark Anzur said : “ We will have daily flights from New Delhi to Ljubljana with a stopover in Frankfurt. Air India is the operating carrier for New Delhi to Frankfurt, and Adria from Frankfurt to Ljubljana. We are hopeful that air traffic between both countries will witness an increase with the codeshare agreement, thus strengthening our tourism ties.”

Adria Airways offers more than 140 scheduled flights every week to Amsterdam, Belgrade, Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana, Vienna and Zurich.

A member of Star Alliance, Adria Airways in connection with other airline partners in Star Alliance, offers access to a global network of 27 airlines with more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,328 airports in 195 countries. The Frequent Flyer Programme of Adria Airways – is Miles & More, which is also the Programme for Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Austrian Airlines etc, helps frequent travellers to accumulate and redeem benefits on Star Carriers.

Headquartered near Ljubljana – the Capital of Slovenia, Adria Airways connects 16 cities throughout Europe and offers excellent connections to South East Europe.

Slovenia, a Schengen State, situated in Central Europe with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia as neighbouring countries, is at the crossroads of European cultural and trade routes and is a diverse country relative to its geography , history, economy , culture and language. The country provides beaches, lakes, mountains, Ski-slopes and is gaining as a popular Health Destination.

India and Slovenia traditionally have excellent bilateral relations. The future of cooperation between Slovenia and India lies in deepening cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. In particular, there is growing cooperation in the economic field.

MALAYSIA: Malaysia Airlines And Emirates Airlines Sign Agreement To Expand Codeshare Partnership

Malaysia Airlines and Emirates has announced a new partnership that will give their customers a seamless international network connecting Malaysia to more than 90 destinations on the Emirates network across Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Americas, exclusive frequent flyer benefits and world-class travel experiences.

Under the agreement signed by Emirates’ President Sir Tim Clark and Malaysia Airlines Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller, Malaysia Airlines will add its code on flights of Emirates to Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Americas. In return, Emirates will add its code on flights of Malaysia Airlines to domestic routes in Malaysia, South East Asia and selective cities across the Asia Pacific region.

The codeshare will be implemented progressively throughout 2016 subject to regulatory approvals. With the Emirates partnership, Malaysia Airlines’ customers will have access to 38 European, 15 Americas and 38 destinations in the Middle East and Africa and Indian Ocean, whilst Emirates’ customers will have access to Malaysia Airlines’ extensive Asia Pacific network with up to 300 daily departures in the region. Sales under this codeshare agreement will commence from February 1 2016.

Malaysia Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer Christoph Mueller said: “The strategic partnership paves the path towards an integrated customer proposition offering for both airlines. The improved connectivity will enable Malaysia Airlines customers to reach up to 38 destinations in Europe on a daily and even double daily basis for key European cities such as Zurich, Rome, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Barcelona.

This partnership gives our customers access to a dramatically expanded range of travel options. It is a great way for customers to travel seamlessly to major cities across the world. Furthermore, Dubai is a tourism, trade and logistics hub which has earned itself the reputation as being the gateway between the East and the West.

Not only will this provide Malaysians unprecedented super-connectivity to the whole world, it will also make it much easier for travellers from all corners of the globe to visit Malaysia and experience its rich culture, nature and Malaysian hospitality. This is part of the national carrier’s initiative towards enhancing air connectivity with key priority markets overseas for increased tourist arrivals into Malaysia.”

“Our new codeshare agreement with Malaysia Airlines will enable our passengers to experience new destinations and improved connectivity in the ever-popular Southeast Asia region, and also additional comforts such as reciprocal lounge access and priority check-in,” said Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates.”

“Malaysia Airlines’ extensive network in the emerging Southeast Asia region perfectly complements Emirates’ global network and enhances the choice of travel destinations for customers in both the business and leisure segment.”

GERMANY: Lufthansa Strike Grounds 100,000 Passengers As 900 Flights Cancelled

Germany’s biggest airline Lufthansa has been forced to cancel nearly a thousand flights on Monday because of a strike by cabin crew.

Some 113,000 passengers were grounded by the stoppage which affected Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf airports, the airline said. A total of 929 out of a total of 3,000 scheduled international and domestic flights were cancelled. Lufthansa said that 70 percent of its normal services would operate.

It’s thought the latest strike over early retirement benefits and pensions could last a week.

“I’m in a bad mood. I will never book with Lufthansa. That’s what I said to the Lufthansa crew here in Frankfurt this morning. I told them the last service I’ll accept from Lufthansa was a bottle of apple juice,” said one male passenger at Frankfurt.

“I booked a flight to San Francisco and, as you can see on the board, they’re all cancelled. I really have no sympathy, and especially with transatlantic flights, there is no alternative. What should I do, swim?” asked another traveller.

Lufthansa has apologised to passengers, replying individually to travellers’ tweets.

The airline says its cost-cutting plans are necessary given intense competition from low-cost carriers, arguing the early retirement provisions are too expensive.

The main flight attendants’ union UFO, which insists the arrangements remain unchanged, is impressed by the support for the strike among staff.

“A lot more colleagues are taking part than there are union members. 95 percent of all flights affected by the strike have been cancelled. Lufthansa hasn’t even managed to ensure its emergency flight schedule. We are impressed and it shows how angry people are with the airline,” said the head of the UFO union, Nicoley Baublies.

After taking a break from strike action on Sunday, the series of rolling stoppages entered its third day on Monday and is expected to cause more disruption throughout the week. More action had been planned for Tuesday, the airline said.

Not affected are Lufthansa’s subsidiary airlines: Germanwings, Eurowings, Lufthansa CityLine, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti and Brussels Airlines.

The union said industrial action was “unavoidable” after management failed to deliver an improved offer.

The airline said in a statement on Sunday that it was ready to resume talks. However the union accused management of failing to get in touch since negotiations broke down last Thursday.

Lufthansa management were meeting on Monday and were expected to issue a statement later in the day.

The dispute is separate from another long-running battle between Lufthansa pilots and management over plans to change pilots’ early retirement arrangements.

GERMANY: Lufthansa Strike, 929 Flights Cancelled,113.000 Passengers Affected

The Independent Flight Attendant’s Organization (UFO) has announced strike action for all Lufthansa flights from/ to Frankfurt and Dusseldorf on Monday, 9.11.2015 between 4.30 and 23.00 and flights from/to Munich between 4.30 and 00.00.

Flights operated by Lufthansa CityLine, Germanwings, Eurowings, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and Brussels Airlines are not affected by potential strike actions and will therefore run as planned.

Lufthansa will do its utmost to keep the effects of a strike to a minimum and to inform passengers as soon as possible. For that reason, Lufthansa requests all passengers early on to stay up-to-date by checking the flight status on LH.com.

On Monday, out of the approximately 3.000 planned connections about 929 continental and intercontinental flights had to be cancelled. Affected by these cancellations are in total approximately 113.000 passengers.

Lufthansa did publish a special timetable. Nearly all continental and intercontinental flights had to be cancelled. Exceptions are a few flights between Munich and Frankfurt to London Heathrow, Dublin, Ashgabat, Delhi, Hongkong and Tokio.

Flights from Lufthansa CityLine, Germanwings, Eurowings, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and Brussels Airlines are not affected by the strike actions and will therefore operate as planned.

Lufthansa regrets any inconveniences caused by the strike.