ESTONIA: airBaltic Will Deploy Two Airbus A220-300 In Tallinn

airBaltic has announced that as of summer season of 2019 it will base two of its new Airbus A220-300 aircraft in Tallinn, in order to serve the growing range of destinations offered to Estonian passengers.

In total, airBaltic will have three aircraft based in Tallinn next year.

Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic says: since 2014, we are continuing to grow our operations in Tallinn Airport and we are glad that more Estonian passengers choose our services. Next summer we will serve already 12 different destinations. By basing a third aircraft in Tallinn, we are further committing to the Estonian market. We see airBalticc as a true Baltic airline, and with this Estonia is part of airBaltic’s growth story.

This year we launched direct flights from Tallinn to London, Stockholm and Oslo. Next year new direct flights to Malaga, Brussels and Copenhagen will be added. By offering both direct flights from Tallinn and convenient connections via Riga, airBaltic offers the best connectivity to and from the Baltic states to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East, Martin Gauss added.

This year airBaltic expects to transport around 400 000 passengers to and from Estonia. This making Tallinn the second biggest market after Riga.

From Tallinn, airBaltic offers direct flights to Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, Vienna and Vilnius as well as convenient connections via Riga. airBaltic will launch new direct services from Tallinn to Malaga, Brussels and Copenhagen in 2019.

airBaltic serves over 70 destinations from Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, offering the largest variety of destinations and convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East.

For summer 2019, airBaltic will launch a new direct routes from Riga to Stuttgart and Lviv.


Tourism Observer

LATVIA: Air Baltic Restart Riga To Dublin Flights 31st Of March 2019

Latvian Flag Carrier Air Baltic has announced that it will restart flights from its hub in Riga to Dublin, Ireland.

The inaugural flight will be on the 31st of March 2019, operated four times a week with the airline’s Airbus A220-300. Air Baltic had previously operated flights between these two cites, however, it discounted it in 2012.

Air Baltic was the launch customer for the A220-300 Previously Bombardier CS300 in 2016. The carrier plans to have an all A220 (CS300) fleet by 2025.

Originally founded in 1995, the airline currently flies to over 70 destinations from Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius—the carrier’s three bases.

For Summer 2019 season, Air Baltic will base A220s at Tallinn and start flights to Malaga, Brussels, and Copenhagen. In addition to Dublin, the airline will also launch Stuttgart and Lviv from Riga.

The flights will run every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Flight BT661 will depart Riga at 07:30, arriving into Dublin at 08:35 local time. The return flight BT662 will depart Dublin at 09:15 local time, arriving back into Riga at 14:10.

Martin Gauss, CEO of Air Baltic, said that he is glad to offer our guests regular flights to Dublin. This route has a strong demand for years now and we are very happy that we can add Dublin to our expanding route portfolio.

Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison also commented on the route’s announcement. This new service to Riga will further enhance the connectivity between Ireland and Latvia and is good news for passengers as it will offer additional choice and convenience, he said.

airBaltic, legally incorporated as AS Air Baltic Corporation, is the flag carrier of Latvia, with its head office on the grounds of Riga International Airport in Mārupe municipality near Riga. Its hub is at Riga International Airport with further bases at Tallinn Airport and Vilnius Airport.

The airline was established as Air Baltic on 28 August 1995 with the signing of a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and the Latvian state.

Operations started on 1 October 1995 with the arrival of the first Air Baltic aircraft, a Saab 340, at Riga, and that afternoon, the plane made the first passenger flight for Air Baltic.

In 1996, the airline's first Avro RJ70 was delivered; and Air Baltic joined the SAS frequent flier club as a partner. 1997 saw the opening of a cargo department and, in 1998, the airline's first Fokker 50 plane was delivered.

The adopted livery was mainly white, with the name of the airline written in blue on the forward fuselage, the 'B' logo being heavily stylized in blue checks. The checker blue pattern was repeated on the aircraft tailfin.

In 1999, Air Baltic became a joint stock company; it was previously a limited liability company. All of their Saab 340s were replaced by Fokker 50s.

By September, the airline had begun operating under the European Aviation Operating Standards, or JAR ops. Air Baltic welcomed the new millennium by introducing new uniforms and opening a cargo center at Riga's airport.

The first Boeing 737–500 joined the fleet in 2003, and on 1 June 2004, Air Baltic launched services from the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, initially to five destinations. In October 2004, Air Baltic was rebranded as AirBaltic.

Their present livery consists of an all-white fuselage and lime tailfin. AirBaltic.com is displayed on the forward upper fuselage, and the word Baltic is repeated in blue on the lower part of the tailfin. In December 2006, the first Boeing 737–300 joined the fleet and was configured with winglets.

In July 2007, AirBaltic introduced an online check-in system. It was the first online check-in system in the Baltic states. In the spring of 2008, two long-haul Boeing 757s joined the existing AirBaltic fleet.

On 10 March 2008, it was announced that in the next three years the airline would acquire new aircraft, experiencing the largest fleet expansion in the company's history. The new additions will be next generation Q400 aircraft.

AirBaltic had strong links with SAS, which owned 47.2% of the airline, and operated frequent flights to SAS hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, and the airline formerly used the SAS EuroBonus frequent flyer programme, but it now has its own frequent flyer programme called PINS.

Some of AirBaltic's products and services are still shared with SAS, including co-ordinated timetabling and shared airport lounges. AirBaltic is not a member of any airline alliance, but does have codeshare agreements in place with several Star Alliance member airlines and others.

AirBaltic had secondary hubs at Vilnius International Airport and Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport. The majority of the routes commenced from Tallinn were cancelled shortly after opening, leading to complaints from the Estonian Consumer Protection Department.

In January 2009, SAS sold its entire stake in the company 47.2% of the airline to Baltijas aviācijas sistēmas Ltd (BAS) for 14 million lats. BAS was wholly owned by Bertolt Flick - President and CEO until December 2010, when 50% of BAS shares were transferred to Taurus Asset Management Fund Limited, registered in the Bahamas.

airBaltic operates direct year-round and seasonal flights from Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, mostly to metropolitan and leisure destinations within Europe. Long-haul flights are not operated.

airBaltic has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

- Aegean Airlines

- Aeroflot

- Air France

- Air Malta

- Air Serbia

- Alitalia

- Austrian Airlines

- Azerbaijan Airlines

- Belavia

- British Airways

- Brussels Airlines

- Czech Airlines

- Etihad Airways

- Georgian Airways

- Iberia

- KLM

- LOT Polish Airlines

- TAP Air Portugal

- TAROM

- Ukraine International Airlines

- Uzbekistan Airways

airBaltic fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Airbus A220-300: 14

- Boeing 737-300: 6

- Boeing 737-500: 3

- Bombardier Q400: 12

- Total: 35


Tourism Observer

PORTUGAL: TAP Portugal And airBaltic Sign Codeshare Deal

Riga based carrier airBaltic and TAP Air Portugal have signed a codesharing agreement between the two airlines.

This partnership will enable airBaltic passengers through to TAP’s extensive network of international destinations such as Brazil and Africa with TAP benefiting more on flights to the Baltics, Scandinavia and other areas of Eastern Europe.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic said that TAP Air Portugal is already our 21st codeshare partner, thus we are further extending the impressive portfolio of partner airlines that ensures smooth and seamless travel for airBaltic customers around the world.

The CEO added that airBaltic will sell flights between Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn and TAP Air Portugal domestic network via Lisbon, as well to Lisbon via common gateways, better connecting Baltics to the world.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of TAP, said that this newest partnership with airBaltic will allow TAP Air Portugal customers to take advantage of new direct flights to Latvia and connecting services to the Baltic countries.

Thereby adding convenience and travel options to Northern Europe, in complementarity with TAP direct services to Scandinavia and Finland, he stated.

As part of the agreement, TAP will place its TP flight code on direct flights between Riga and Lisbon that are already operated by airBaltic as well as via common gateways between the Portuguese carrier’s network and Riga.

With TAP operating to 83 destinations across 35 countries, this is a big boost for airBaltic to get their name out further across the international industry.


Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: SCAT Airlines Starts Astana-Vilnius Flights

Kazakhstan’s SCAT airlines based in Shymkent launched May 27 a new Astana-Vilnius, Lithuania service.

The four-hour-and-40-minute Boeing-737 flights depart Thursdays and Sundays with economy return fares starting from $233.

A new route is first and foremost good news for our business community.

Economic ties between Lithuania and Kazakhstan are getting stronger year by year and we have been working hard over the past years to put this important and necessary route on our map.

Besides, exotic Central Asia is not just a business, but a very attractive destination entailing the search for undiscovered places for vacation, said Lithuanian Airports Director Marius Gelžinis at a May 27 press briefing in Vilnius.

Airline representatives said the route will facilitate inbound and outbound tourism, provide more opportunities for tour agencies, guides and the entire tourism infrastructure.

Lithuanian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Vytautas Nauduzas, also present at the press briefing, said the launch of the new route, a result of three years of negotiations, will bring the countries closer to increasing their trade from the current $1.7 billion to $2 billion.

We have good news today. The new route makes a journey from Vilnius to Astana and other cities in the Central Asian region and China more comfortable and less tiring.

The Lithuanian businesses are interested in entering the Kazakh market, yet the potential remains unfulfilled, said the Lithuanian ambassador.

Nauduzas noted Vilnius also offers a convenient link to other European cities.

For instance, you can get to Paris, Barcelona, Milan and many other capitals and cities in Europe, said the ambassador.

Head of SCAT Public Relations Department Viktoria Starozhilova said the ticket prices start from $233.

There is a flexible system of tariffs. There are minimal tariffs and higher. The minimal fare for an economy return ticket will be approximately 200 euros (US$233). Special offers are also frequent,” said Starozhilova.

The new routes are part of the company’s fleet and route network expansion plan.

Last year, the company announced it ordered six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircrafts at the Dubai Air Show and in March Boeing delivered the first of six such aircraft to SCAT.

The airline plans to launch 14 more new routes, including to Milan, Vienna and Prague.

Another milestone for SCAT came in March as well, when it joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit programme (IOSA).

Two years ago, the company passed an audit that examined more than 1,000 elements of its operational activity.

As of today, only two Kazakh airlines – SCAT and Air Astana – hold the IOSA certificate enabling them to fly to Europe.


Tourism Observer

VIETNAM: BAA Training Vietnam Established

BAA Training, one of the largest aviation training centres in Northern Europe, has announced the establishment of a new company in Vietnam – BAA Training Vietnam which is to operate a training centre of 4 full flight simulators and Ab Initio flight school by 2023.

According to the Boeing projections Asia Pacific region will require up to 253,000 new pilots until 2036.

Looking at South East Asia alone, the aircraft numbers will grow from 1,410 in 2016 up to 4,200 aircraft by 2036, 77% of which will be made up of single aisle airplanes, mainly A320 and B737 family aircraft.

The total number of A320 fleet is predicted to rise from 120 aircraft in 2017 to 226 aircraft in 2024.

Starting from 2019 a number of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the market will multiple, reaching 59 aircraft and will continue to grow reaching 317 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the region by 2023.

To respond to the growing training needs in the region, BAA Training Vietnam is building a brand new training facility.

As constructions of the training centre are underway the first Airbus A320 full flight simulator is set to be deployed by the end of 2018.

To continue the development and increase the training centre capabilities Airbus A320 NEO and Boeing 737 MAX full flight simulators are planned to be assembled until 2020.

In addition, BAA Training Vietnam aims to open an Ab Initio flight school in the next five years, in order to provide the region with complex pilot training solutions.

The Vietnamese aviation market has been growing by average 8% per year and is expected to continue its growth in the upcoming 20 years.

By establishing BAA Training Vietnam we aim to share an exceptional know-how built through years of experience of BAA Training operations as well as securing region with the transparent and high standard aviation training for both corporate and private clients, comments Egle Vaitkeviciute, CEO at BAA Training.

The new company in Vietnam is not the only proof of the successful aviation training business development of BAA Training.

Just last year the company announced the accusation of 4 full flight simulators, three Airbus A320 and one Boeing 737 NG, of which three will be located at BAA Training headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania, by the end of 2018.

Also, the company invested into the renewal of current full flight simulators and assembled a brand new, only of its kind in the Baltic States, Airbus A320 Door and Slide Trainer reaching an investment of approximately 32 mln. euros into training equipment.


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

LATVIA: airBaltic Planning Eight CS300 Aircraft By End 2017

airBaltic has received the fourth of its 20 Bombardier CS300 jets on firm order. By the end of this year, airBaltic is planning to have eight CS300 aircraft.

The modernized fleet is ensuring growth of airBaltic with at least 13 additional routes and +15% more tickets on sale in 2017.

The fourth airBaltic CS300 aircraft, registered as YL-CSD, arrived in Riga on June 2, 2017. The flight time was 7 hours and 58 minutes and the aircraft covered 6 410 km non-stop distance between the Canadian and Latvian airports.

Thus far, airBaltic has completed more than 1 296 flights and flown over 3 130 block hours with the brand new Bombardier CS300 aircraft.

By the end of 2019 airBaltic is planning to have 20 Bombardier CS300 aircraft on its fleet. With an average jet fleet age of only 2 years, airBaltic, as an all-Bombardier operator, will have one of the youngest jet fleets in Europe.

airBaltic CS300 aircraft currently operates on such popular routes as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, Moscow, London, Paris, Vienna, Athens, Madrid and others.

The new Bombardier CS300 aircraft, with a total of 145 seats, offers excellent flying experience with such benefits for passengers as wider seats, larger windows, more hand luggage space in the cabin, improved lavatories and more.

New aircraft is also much quieter – with four times smaller noise footprint.

Moreover, at the moment, it is the greenest commercial aircraft in the world, as it is the first aircraft to have a transparent declaration of the life-cycle environmental impact, helping to reduce CO2 and NOX emissions by 20% and 50% respectively.

airBaltic serves over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia. From every one of these locations, airBaltic offers convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East.

In addition, airBaltic also offers direct flights from Tallinn and Vilnius.

GERMANY: Traffic At Nuremberg Airport Grows 23%

The city of Nuremberg is home to a population of over 500,000 people, an important industrial centre with a strong standing in the markets of Central and Eastern Europe. With a strong manufacturing prowess, items made in the area around the city include electrical equipment, mechanical and optical products, and printed materials.

The city is also strong in the fields of automation, energy and medical technology, with one of the city’s biggest employers being Siemens. Nestled in the northern part of Bavaria, the city is served by Nuremberg Airport, the tenth largest airport in Germany which last year welcomed just under 3.5 million passengers.

The airport has had many successes during the past year, including the opening of a new Ryanair base, and the team being highly commended at this year’s Routes Europe Marketing Awards in Belfast.

Nuremberg Airport has had an exceptional start to 2017, with Q1 traffic up 23% when compared to the same three-month period of 2016. Passenger figures for January were up 22%, while February indicated a 25% rise and March 23%.

Looking at the international and domestic markets, the former welcomed a 37% increase in traffic during Q1, while the latter showed a more modest 3% rise, highlighting that international expansion is the driving force behind Nuremberg’s impressive growth.

According to ADV monthly statistics, the average growth during the first quarter of 2017 across Germany’s leading airports was 4.5%, showing that Nuremberg is well above the national average.

With the airport’s exciting growth comes the news that it is Germany’s fastest-growing top 10 airport for Q1, with only Berlin Schonefeld (sixth largest airport; 16% growth in Q1 2017) and Düsseldorf (third; 13%) also registering double-digit growth. If Nuremberg’s growth pattern continues throughout 2017, then it should welcome around 4.2 million passengers this calendar year.

When taking Nuremberg’s 2016 monthly passenger statistics and placing them in anna.aero’s Seasonal Variation in Demand calculator (SVID) it performs well, generating a score of 5.48 – a “Good” rating. This is an improvement from the 6.26 also good that it scored for its 2015 monthly statistics.

What this indicates is that with Nuremberg’s impressive traffic growth, the impact has not damaged its seasonality. In fact with the seasonality profile of the airport being reduced, even with more traffic, shows that Nuremberg has demand for year-round services, not just summer seasonal ones when the airport is at its peak.

Since Ryanair opened its base at Nuremberg in October 2016, it now has two 737-800s stationed at the Bavarian airport and as a result it has grown to become Nuremberg’s largest airline. In total the ULCC occupies 18% of weekly departing seat capacity this summer, with its own individual seat capacity growing by over 420%, a result of the based aircraft.

Last year the airline occupied 4.4% of weekly seat capacity during summer. In the past year the airline has opened flights to Bari, Budapest, Madrid, Manchester, Milan Bergamo, Palermo, Porto, Rome Ciampino and Verona from Nuremberg. In total the airline will offer 58 weekly flights from the city during S17.

Wednesdays and Sundays are the busiest of the week with nine flights each, while the rest of the week sees eight daily departures. Looking ahead to W17/18, the most significant route that Ryanair will open from Nuremberg is Krakow, the first connection to be offered between the Polish and German sister cities, and Nuremberg’s first direct flight to Poland.

Ryanair will also connect Nuremberg to Vilnius from the end of October.

The most recent carrier to join the airline roll call at Nuremberg is bmi regional which began flights from Birmingham on 8 May, a route which will operate six times weekly and which anna.aero was fortune to attend the launch of.

In total, weekly seat capacity this summer from Nuremberg has risen by nearly 32% when analysed with S16 data.
Antalya is fastest-growing route for Nuremberg in S17

With SunExpress increasing its seat offering between Nuremberg and Antalya by 128% during the past 12 months, the Turkish resort is the fastest-growing top 12 route from the German airport this summer. It is followed by London Stansted which has seen its capacity increase by over 71%, the result of Ryanair increasing its frequency to 12 times weekly (twice-daily Mondays to Fridays) from daily on the route to the UK capital.

The leading route from Nuremberg this summer is Palma de Mallorca, a title it holds on to from S16 despite a 8.5% drop in capacity.

Looking at OAG schedules for this summer, Nuremberg will have direct flights to 58 destinations (w/c 13 June 2017), an increase of 15 when compared to the same week of 2016.

Along with the new routes to Krakow and Vilnius being launched by Ryanair, other services that are to be introduced from Nuremberg during the remainder of 2017 include Adana, Athens, Dalaman, Reykjavik/Keflavik and Tel Aviv with Germania, with the latter two being the airport’s first flights to Iceland and Israel.

Finally Wizz Air, which has grown its seat capacity from Nuremberg by 122% since last summer, will begin services from Kiev Zhuliany in August.

Looking ahead to the rest of 2017, one of the most significant route launches from Nuremberg is to Tel Aviv, a sector that will be inaugurated by Germania in November.

Along with Tel Aviv, Germania will also add Reykjavik/Keflavik to its Nuremberg schedule from June, becoming the German airport’s first flights to Israel and Iceland.

Other important route launches from Nuremberg in 2017 include Krakow and Vilnius with Ryanair, and Wizz Air adding Kiev Zhulyany flights.

LITHUANIA: Small Planet Airlines Flying To Asia

Lithuanian leisure charter carrier Small Planet Airlines has announced expansion of its route network in Asia.

Besides Cambodia, where the airline has been operating for some time now, it has added two new countries, Saudi Arabia and India.

The carrier explains that the move comes as a solution to seasonality issue.

In the summer season, we perform most of our flights in Europe.

However, in the winter we face a challenging question of how to utilize all the fleet of 21 aircraft. Asia came as the best answer because it has a reverse seasonality and its holiday market is growing rapidly, Vytautas Kaikaris, CEO of the Small Planet Group explained.

According to him, several aircraft will be based in Asia. Today, the group runs two affiliate offices in Cambodia - in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. The later also serves as the airline's base airport in the country. In the winter of 2016 two of the carrier's Airbus A320s are based here.

In cooperation with its local partners Sky Angkor and Cambodia Angkor Air, Small Planet operates domestic flights in Cambodia. It also offers flights to China, South Korea and Vietnam.

Two more A320s have been dispatched to the carrier's Indian base in Mumbai to operate domestic flights in cooperation with the low-cost carrier Go Air.

The third Asian base is Saudi Arabian city Jeddah. Two Airbus A321s and an A320 fly local routes to Jeddah, Ha’il, Riyadh, and Dammam. The airline's partner in the country is Nesma Airlines.

As for the European market, Canary Islands, Dubai, Egypt, and skiing resorts remain among the Small Planet Airlines' main winter destinations.

Before the end of the year Small Planet plans to open its 12th base in Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

Currently, Small Planet Airlines operates twenty-one aircraft under their AOCs: seventeen 180-seat Airbus A320s and four 220-seat Airbus A321 aircraft. The group operates out of 11 bases and serves more than 45 leisure destinations.

Small Planet Airlines carried 1.8 million people. Its revenue grew to 182 million euro, profit amounted to 19.2 million euro.

Airports in Lithuania posted record cumulative traffic of 4.3 million passengers in 2016. This is 13% more than a year ago.

The number of flights through the country's airports grew 5% to 52,000 movements, according to data published by Vilnius International Airports, the company that manages airports in Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga.

Traffic though Vilnius airport in the country’s capital grew 14% to 3.8 million passengers, the number of flights increased by 5%. The airport served flights to the total of 62 destinations. Notably, European low-cost carrier Ryanair opened a base in Vilnius last October.

Airport in Palanga, on the Baltic Sea shore, demonstrated the highest growth rate - up 60% from the previous year to 233,000 passengers.

The airport doubled the number of destinations in its route network, adding such points as Kyiv, Luton and Stansted in London, Minsk and Warsaw. The number of aircraft movements grew 17%.

Traffic through airport in Kaunas, Lithuania’s second largest city, remained roughly level with the previous year, 741,000 passengers, although the number of flights increased by 2%, including to new destinations such as Stavanger, Bergen, Alesund in Norway and Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

Vilnius International Airports emphasized that the Lithuanian aviation companies' accomplishments are due to help from the Route Development Foundation, which facilitated launching flights to new destinations and increasing frequencies.

The Foundation raised 800,000 euro and allocated subsidies to those airlines that opted to use help, among them Belavia, Adria Airways, Ukraine International Airlines, Ryanair and Turkish Airlines.

The foundation's activity is intended to continue throughout 2017, so Lithuanian airports will keep adding destinations and increasing frequencies. The renewed offer for the airlines will be issued before the end of this month, after which the organization will be open to applications from airlines.

Kaunas will be responsible for handling most flights instead of Vilnius in the coming summer, when the latter is scheduled to close for reconstruction.

The works would take up to 35 day. The Kaunas airport is currently rebuilding its passenger terminal to handle the growing traffic, and the process will take five months.

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.

LITHUANIA: Lithuanian Travel Agencies Increase Sales

The year 2016 is successful for Lithuanian travel agencies

Most of them have increased their sales and the number of tourists. There is a tendency of amalgamation and strengthening of the largest agencies. Travel agencies “Novaturas” and “Omnituras” would be the best examples of this successful cooperation.

According to the business daily made by “Verslo Zinios”, the biggest sales are counted in “West Express”: its sales in 2002 comparing to 2001 increased by 20 percent, “Baltic Clipper” grew by 30 percent, “Novaturas” – by 15. The data of all the agencies show that the biggest companies have become stronger, at that time the smallest ones have become weaker.

According to the number of the inbound tourists in 2002 the biggest travel organizing agencies are as follows: Liturmex, Lithuanian Tours, Delta Tours, West Express and etc.

Foreign guests are welcome in the Lithuanian country tourism

Travelers from the European countries make only a few percent of all the visitors of the Lithuanian countryside. The most usual guests there are Polish and German visitors, people from Scandinavia frequently ask about a country holiday in Lithuania.

Good example of an effective marketing could be Czech Republic, where the Lithuanian country tourism association has its representative. After the information about Lithuania in the Czech language was distributed, 800 tourists from this country came to spend a holiday in 48 farmsteads of Lithuania. According to the Lithuanian country tourism association, Diplomatic Missions of Lithuania could help a lot in advertising the traveling and leisure possibilities in the Lithuania’s countryside.

New Hotels
A new hotel “Audenis” was opened in Birstonas this February. Till that time the hotel service in the resort was provided only by sanatoriums. The hotel “Audenis” was established by the textile enterprise “Kauteksa” in Kaunas. It has decided to take up in tourism as the alternative activity. The 10-room hotel could pretend to be given a 3-star category. The prices there are much lower then in Vilnius and Kaunas.

Besides, the owners of the “Audenis” expect to revive the tourism service market in Birstonas. They plan to organize the flights by hot air balloons, the sightseeing excursions by aircraft (the air port Pociunai is located near the city).

A completely renovated 5-star hotel Congress was opened near the Neris river by the Green Bridge. The hotel has 85 rooms, a 45-seats conference hall. Also there is a European food restaurant in the cellar. A bar will be located on the top floor from which the guests will enjoy the panorama of the center of Vilnius.

After the reconstruction the hotel “Vilnius” will become a luxurious “Marriot” group hotel. The 5-star hotel will have 178 rooms and a 500-sq. m. conference hall. It will aim at the big groups of the business class visitors. The reconstruction should last for 16-18 month.

New entertainment and services

Lithuanians are not very frequent visitors of the largest sanatorium in country “Egle”. 40 percent of the visitors of the Druskininkai sanatorium “Egle” were from Poland, 30 – from Germany. Lithuanians made up only 18 percent of all its clients.

9.3 thous. people visited the sanatorium during the last year. The heads of “Egle” expect at least 10 thousands visitors this year. Despite the season fluctuation the sanatorium worked profitably. Last year it had profit of 996.8 thousands litas.

Privatized in 2002 the sanatorium “Egle” is going to be not only the largest in Lithuania but also the most modern one. Its owners have ambitious development plans and foresee huge investments. This year they are going to assign 2.7 million litas for the modernization of the enterprise, in the next two years the investments should make up about 5 million litas.

Broker of the charter flights “Navis Expedita” began to render the service of the air taxi in 2002. The service of the air taxi could be described as a carrying of single persons or small groups of passengers according to order without any preliminary timetable. The company has 3-4 such orders per month.

Air taxi is usually ordered by the businessmen, sportsmen or by pop artists. The plane has 5 or 6 seats, the flying speed is 350 km/hr. The price for one hour’s flight – 600 EUR.

“Lithuanian Airlines” started to operate the route Vilnius – Brussels. The need for this direct flight appeared because of the EU integration process. At that time there are intensive tourist flows in this direction. This year the 49-seat SAAB 2000 will carry passengers 3 times a week. In 2004 “Lithuanian Airlines “ plans to increase the number of flights up to 5 times per week. The trip will take 2.40 hour.

Since the 31 of March the Aircompany Lietuva is operating a new route Kaunas – Palanga – Malme every working day.

The new entertainment, sport and business center “Forum Palace” was opened in Vilnius. There is a modern sport club “Forum” with its fitness hall, 3 rooms for aerobics and fighting arts, swimming pool and jacuzzi.

The nightclub “Galaxy” is located even throughout tree floors of the palace. There are 550 seats in its amphitheater hall. Over 1000 people can tape part in disco-parties. Also there are several conference halls. Two rooms could be used for seminars for 20 people, one hall has 100 seats, other two – 180 seats each. Conferences with 500 participants can take place in the nightclub’s premises too.

The first casino “Casino Planet” to be opened in Palanga on Basanaviciaus street this summer. Many other attractions are planed in the resort, because this year Palanga is celebrating its 750-year anniversary. Besides traditional events such as season opening festival, car racing, concerts and sports competitions will be organized especially for the anniversary.

The anniversary summer festival will take place in Palanga on the 6-8 of June, the classic musical project “The Fishs’ song or the incantation of the ship” will be performed in the park on the 30th of August.

LITHUANIA: Wizz Air Commences Flights

Wizz Air toady announced further expansion of its route network from Lithuania. The airline will start operating another attractive route from Vilnius to Grenoble in France. The new service will commence on 14 January and operate on Saturdays. Tickets are already on sale starting at EUR 24.99.

Grenoble is already the 4th new destination WIZZ added to its low-fare Vilnius network in 2016. With its newest service to France, Wizz Air now offers a total of 33 routes to 14 countries from it’s three Lithuanian airports.

Gabor Vasarhelyi, Communications Manager at Wizz Air said: “We are delighted to announce another attractive route from Vilnius. Grenoble is already the fourth new destination we add to our ever growing Lithuania network in this calendar year and we are sure Vilnius winter sport lovers will enjoy visiting the ‘capital of the Alps’ on our very low fares. Seats on our new Grenoble route are already on sale from just EUR 24.99 on wizzair.com.

Our friendly Lithuanian crew looks forward to welcoming you on board a WIZZ flight with a smile!”

LATVIA: airBaltic Flying Vilnius To Tallinn

airBaltic commenced services between Vilnius (VNO) and Tallinn (TLL) on 18 April. The 529-kilometre sector will be served by the carrier twice-daily on weekdays with no weekend service according to OAG Schedules Analyser data.

airBaltic will utilise its Q400 fleet on the route. Martin Gauss, CEO of airBaltic, commented on the launch by saying: “The opening of a Vilnius to Tallinn route is a symbolic new beginning for airBaltic, as it marks the successful conclusion of our restructuring programme.

Under the restructure, it was one of 14 profitable routes that we had to give up, and now we are relaunching it so that our Baltic customers benefit from convenient morning and evening departures, and considerably lower fares on the route.”

airBaltic will face direct competition on the route from Nordica which operates a 16 times weekly service between the two capital cities. For airBaltic this service becomes its third Baltic capital connection, with it already connecting both Vilnius and Tallinn with its Riga hub in Latvia.

Vilnius Airport celebrated the start of airBaltic’s flights to Tallinn on 18 April with cupcakes which were handed out to passengers by Arturas Stankevicius, Director of Vilnius Airport.

The Lithuanian facility also conducted a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony to cement the start of services. Conducting the ceremony is Stankevicius along with Inga Slapelyte, Junior Sales Manager for the airline.

Flights will be operated double-daily on weekdays using Q400s.

Tallinn Airport celebrated airBaltic’s launch of flights from Vilnius with this fantastic cake. Flights on the 529-kilometre sector will be operated by the airline’s fleet of Q400s.

POLAND: Wizz Air Commenced Services On Four New Airport

On 14 September, Memmingen Airport celebrated the inaugural service of flights to Vilnius. Flights on the 1,276-kilometre sector will be flown using A320s, with a Monday and Friday rotation.

Wizz Air commenced services on four new airport pairs on 14 September, including the airline’s first services to Birmingham (BHX) from Warsaw Chopin (WAW). The 1,535-kilometre sector connecting the Polish capital with the UK’s second city will operate twice-weekly on Mondays and Fridays, facing no direct competition. The city pair was last operated by bmibaby in 2008.

Commenting on the launch from Birmingham, Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport CEO, said: “It is fantastic to welcome another new airline to Birmingham; our seventh this year. Warsaw is a very popular tourist destination that has not been served from Birmingham for some time so we are extremely pleased to be able to offer our customers even more choice, and thank Wizz Air for recognising the Midlands as a new market opportunity.”

The carrier will also launch services from Birmingham to Budapest on 15 September. Other new routes launched on the 14 September include services from Lublin (LUZ) to Brussels Charleroi (CRL). The route becomes the sixth for the carrier from the Polish city, which is now a base for the low-cost airline.

None of the airport pairs will face any competition, and all will be served with a twice-weekly operation, flown by the airline’s A320s. See how Birmingham Airport’s FTWA compares to others from around the world.

LITHUANIA: Discover Lithuania:

Downtown Vilnius

Lithuania attracts many tourists from neighbouring countries and all over the world.

Statistics Lithuania issues national tourism reports. They are based on statistical surveys, visits to tourist information centers, statistics compiled by the Ministry of Economy, and aggregated data from the Bank of Lithuania's balance of payments records.

Lithuania experiences a constant increase of foreign visitors. As of the first half of 2006 the number of visitors (except from the member states of the European Union and member states of EFTA) has risen 11.1 percent compared to 2005 and reached 985,700. Lithuania attracts foreign visitors mostly from Russia, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Finland. Druskininkai and Birštonas resorts experienced around 50 percent increase of occupiers in 2005 compared to 2004; while the increase of arrivals staying in Neringa and Palanga averaged 22 percent. The majority of visitors staying in hotels and lodging houses come from Germany, Poland, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Finland.

From January to September 2006, Lithuanian hotels have experienced a 13,7 percent increase of occupiers compared to 2005, 51 percent of them being foreign visitors (nearly 620,000). Among them, a number of foreign occupiers in Druskininkai has increased 25,7 percent and 27,5 percent in Palanga. Almost a half of the foreign visitors were staying in the capital, Vilnius, that experienced an increase of 10,6 percent. More than twice as many foreigners had stayed in Birštonas' sanatories, compared to 2005.

In 2013, 2.2 million tourists, of whom 1.2 million were from other countries, stayed at various accommodations in Lithuania. This represented an increase of 10.5 percent from 2012.
The new Vilnius City Center

Hill of Crosses

Agrotourism has also gained extreme popularity in the country among the locals as well as foreigners.

Major cities

Vilnius - capital of Lithuania
Kaunas - temporary interbellum capital of Lithuania with prominent Functionalism architecture
Klaipėda - sea port with an attractive old town and heritage of the German culture
Panevėžys - capital of Aukštaitija
Šiauliai - famous for nearby Hill of Crosses
Kėdainiai - city in central Lithuania with prominent Renaissance architecture monuments

National parks

Aukštaitija National Park
Žemaitija National Park
Kuršių Nerija National Park
Dzūkija National Park
Trakai Historical National Park

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Kernavė - a complex of historical hillforts and an archeological site, nicknamed "Lithuanian Troy"
Curonian Spit
Vilnius Old Town - the old capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, is among the largest in the Eastern Europe

Resorts
Seaside resorts

Palanga - the summer capital of Lithuania with sandy beaches
Nida - a world heritage site with unique heritage and nature
Juodkrantė - a former German luxury resort

Spa towns

Birštonas
Druskininkai - a developed spa town with the largest water park in the Eastern Europe.

Pilgrimage sites

Lithuania is a perfect spot for people who are looking for some spiritual energy and to come in peace with themselves. It has many holy sites, especially in Samogitia, which are worth a visit.

Major pilgrimage sites:
Gate of Dawn (Vilnius);
Hill of Crosses, (Samogitia);
Žemaičių Kalvarija, (Samogitia);
Šiluva.

Military heritage tourism

Due to former Soviet occupation of Lithuania, the country has many military sites left and may be very interesting place as a place of Militarism heritage tourism. It might be interesting for everyone to see, who is interested in history of the warfare or the Cold War.

Major militarism heritage sites in Lithuania:
Kaunas Fortress, a massive system of forts built around Kaunas during the Russian Empire rule in the 19th century;
Former Soviet Nuclear launch site near Žemaičių Kalvarija in Samogitia.

Tourism

Before visiting Lithuania, try to answer to yourself what you wish to see and do here. Despite being a relatively small country, Lithuania has much to offer to a visitor, from many types of leisure activities and entertainment to a wide list – of around 1000 – of sightseeing objects. Therefore, we recommend you try to see more of the country, not just its principal towns.

You will see that the condition of roads is truly good here for travelling by car or that you can reach practically any place of the country by train or bus. Try to stop off at UNESCO and national heritage sites, visit different ethnographic regions, taste authentic meals, stop by valuable cultural and architectural sites and museums, have a walk in parks, enjoy the beauty of landscape dotted with lakes and rivers.

We have much to offer also to those who prefer spending their leisure time actively. They can take a canoe down a fast-flowing river or make a bicycle tour of the country, go hang- or motor-gliding or fly on board of a hot air balloon.

Citizens of 78 states do not need visas to come here, yet some of them must hold diplomatic, service, special or biometric passports. Therefore, before coming, be sure to find out if a visa is required and how it can be obtained.

Before and during your stay in Lithuania, take a minute to learn some key phrases in the Lithuanian language and do not forget such important information as speed limits applicable on country roads, how to find addresses and routes, how to call a trusted taxi and how to seek assistance and obtain required information.

Why to Visit?

You are in Lithuania. Feel the surrounding green nature: meadows and hills are everywhere. Hear how the land is praised by singing birds. Five national parks are waiting for you. Travel through refreshing forests, see cultural monuments: castles, mounds, churches, crosses.

Lithuania’s rivers and lakes are calling to be explored; numerous resorts and spa centres are ready to share the healing secrets of mineral springs. Hear the soughing of the sea, feel the grains of sand on your fingers as they disappear from your palm. Get a raditional amber necklace and bring a piece of Lithuania back home.

Did you know that the name Lithuania is a thousand years old? Discover Lithuanian history and art. Theatres, exhibitions, concerts, festivals – all for your entertainment. In Lithuania you can listen to world-class classical music, watch numerous plays and operas in the country’s 30 theatres and enjoy high quality contemporary art.

Need a good place for a conference, seminar or meeting? Look no further. Experienced Lithuanian travel agencies will help you find conference halls and make sure everything goes smoothly. Hotels, holiday camps, homesteads, guest and recreation houses are ready for your stay.

Taste Lithuania, literally. Take a bite of brown bread and feel the golden rye. Spread some honey, put a slice of white cheese on top and enjoy... Don’t forget to thank those little workers buzzing in the meadows. If you are thirsty, have a sip of Lithuanian kvass. Smile. You are in Lithuania.

Why to Visit?

You are in Lithuania. Feel the surrounding green nature: meadows and hills are everywhere. Hear how the land is praised by singing birds. Five national parks are waiting for you. Travel through refreshing forests, see cultural monuments: castles, mounds, churches, crosses. Discover Lithuanian history and art. Taste Lithuania, literally. You are in Lithuania.

Lithuania is a relatively small country, but you will be surprised at how much there is to see and visit. You can choose among different ways to explore the country – you may want to limit your sightseeing to UNESCO or national heritage objects or you may want to visit individual ethnographic regions to get a feeling of their lifestyles, dialects, behavioural specifics, or authentic cuisine.

Before coming to Lithuania, find out if a visa is required and how it can be obtained. A visa-free entry to Lithuania is granted to citizens of 78 states; yet, arrivals from some of them must be holders of diplomatic, service, special or biometric passports. Citizens of other states should apply to Lithuanian diplomatic missions or consular offices for a Schengen or national visa.

Once you have reached our country, whether by air, water or land, do not limit your stay to its bigger towns - visit the whole country. You will see that the condition of roads is truly good here for travelling by car and that a train or a bus can take you to practically any place of the country. Getting comfortable bed-and-breakfast accommodation will not be a problem wherever you decide to go.

What to See
Lithuania is a relatively small country, but you will be surprised at how much there is to see and visit. You can choose among different ways to explore the country – you may want to limit your sightseeing to UNESCO or national heritage objects or you may want to visit individual ethnographic regions to get a feeling of their lifestyles, dialects, behavioural specifics, or authentic cuisine.

A trip to the bigger towns of the country will be equally interesting. Larger towns will meet you with more bustle and urbanity, while in smaller towns time seems to run much more slowly. Take an advantage of this: see valuable objects of culture and architecture, visit museums, have a walk in a park, see the beauty of landscape pierced by lakes and rivers.

Another way to see Lithuania is to visit its national parks – territories managed by the state where the landscape, authentic settlements and cultural valuables are preserved. Lithuania has five national parks: Aukštaitija, Žemaitija, Trakai Historical, Dzūkija, and the Curonian Spit. All of them are quite different.

We have much to offer also to those who prefer spending their leisure actively. They may take a canoe down a fast-flowing river or make a bicycle tour of the country, go hang- or motor-gliding or fly on board of a hot air balloon.

Anxious to escape the teeming city? Then take refuge in a countryside tourism homestead. A hot bath in a barrel in the open air is a must! Even the hardest frost is not to be feared, and just think of the romance floating in the air under a starry night sky!

Travelling Tips
Before coming to Lithuania, find out if a visa is required and how it can be obtained. A visa-free entry to Lithuania is granted to citizens of 78 states; yet, arrivals from some of them must be holders of diplomatic, service, special or biometric passports. Citizens of other states should apply to Lithuanian diplomatic missions or consular offices for a Schengen or national visa.

Before and during your stay in Lithuania, take a minute to learn some key phrases in the Lithuanian language and do not forget such important information as speed limits applicable on country roads, how to find addresses and routes, how to call a trusted taxi and how to seek assistance and obtain required information.

Plan Your Trip

Once you have reached our country, whether by air, water or land, do not limit your stay to its bigger towns – Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda or Palanga. Take a trip to other places.

You will see that the condition of roads is truly good here for travelling by car and that a train or a bus can take you to practically any place of the country. Getting comfortable bed-and-breakfast accommodation will not be a problem wherever you decide to go.

If you travel by car, make a stop in parking areas, many of which are located at particularly spectacular spots at highways and national or regional roads. On your way, you will also see many cafes and restaurants as well as petrol stations, where you can have a snack or do some shopping.

As you set off, be sure to take note of the speed limit on the road concerned and do not exceed it. Many speed cameras are installed and police regularly patrol on roads, and speeding carries heavy fines.

Culinary heritage is another area to be explored: as you visit the ethnographic regions of Lithuania – Aukštaitija, Suvalkija, Žemaitija and Dzūkija – try their traditional meals, apple and berry wines, homemade kvass and beer.

Useful links for planning Your trip:

www.lietuvosmarsrutai.eu - information about places of interest in Lithuania.
www.maps.lt - interactive map of Lithuania.
www.poiplaza.com - maps for GPS navigation.