ARGENTINA: Aerolíneas Argentinas Or Argentine Airlines

Aerolineas Argentinas is Argentina's largest airline and the country's flag carrier.

The airline was created in 1949 from the merger of four companies, and started operations in December 1950. A consortium led by Iberia took control of the airline in 1990, and Grupo Marsans acquired the company and its subsidiaries in 2001, following a period of severe financial difficulties that put the airline on the brink of closure.

The company has been run by the Argentine government since late 2008, when the country regained control of the airline after it was taken over from the Spanish owners. As of December 2014, Aerolíneas Argentinas was state-owned. It has its headquarters in Buenos Aires.

Aerolineas Argentinas and its sister company Austral Lineas Aereas operates from two hubs, both located in Buenos Aires: Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and Ministro Pistarini International Airport.

Aerolineas has a fleet of Boeing 737-700s and -800s for serving domestic and regional routes, whereas intercontinental services are flown with Airbus A330s and -340s. SkyTeam membership was achieved in late August 2012; the airline's cargo division became a member of SkyTeam Cargo in November 2013.

The history of the airline began in 1929, when Compagnie Generale Aeropostale (Aeropostale) started airmail operations between Buenos Aires and Asuncion using Late-25 equipment, later expanding its network to cities located in the Patagonia.Many French pilots including aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupery flew for the company in its beginnings.

Argentine personnel replaced the Frenchmen as they gradually withdrew from the airline, and shortly after Aeropostale's Argentine subsidiary Aeroposta Argentina was formed. In 1947, this airline became a mixed-stock company in which the Government had a 20% stake and private investors held the balance.

As Aeroposta expanded its network southwards and incorporated the Douglas DC-3 into its fleet, another three mixed-stock companies were in operation at the time: ALFA or Aviacion del Litoral Fluvial Argentino mainly operated flying boats northwards to the Mesopotamia, FAMA (Flota Aerea Mercante Argentina) operated overseas services with DC-4s as its mainstay equipment, and ZONDA (Zonas Oeste y Norte de Aerolíneas Argentinas) was mainly concerned with operations in the northwest region.

These carriers became unprofitable and President Juan Peron had them amalgamated into a single state-owned company on 14 May 1949.The state holding was officially rebranded as Aerolineas Argentinas-Empresa del Estado.The four companies comprising the state holding ceased independent operations on 31 December 1949.

Aerolineas Argentinas started operations on its own on 7 December 1950.In February 1950, almost ten months prior to the start of operations, five new Convairs were already acquired. As early as 1950 the Douglas DC-6 was added to the fleet, and was used to launch a weekly Buenos Aires–Rio de Janeiro–Natal–Dakar–Lisbon–Paris–Frankfurt flight in late 1950.

Soon afterwards, Douglas DC-4s joined the fleet and services were inaugurated to Santiago de Chile, Lima, Santa Cruz, and Sao Paulo. By March 1953, the airline's network was 35,000 miles (56,000 km) long, flown with DC-3s, DC-4s, DC-6s, Convair-Liner 240s and Short Sandringhams.

The company carried 291,988 passengers in 1954, and 327,808 in 1955. On 8 February 1957, it was reported that Aerolineas Argentinas had ordered ten F-27 Friendships.The Comet had begun commercial jet services in the 1950s, and the carrier once again set the pace among the South American airlines, when Aerolíneas' president A. Cdre. Juan Jose Guiraldes persuaded Argentina's President Arturo Frondizi to buy six of them,becoming the first overseas airline in ordering the type.

The first of these aircraft departed Hatfield Aerodrome on 2 March 1959; it took over 18 hours for it to cover a distance of 7,075 miles (11,386 km) between Hatfield and Buenos Aires.On 7 March, she was christened Las Tres Marias by Frondizi's wife Elena Faggionato at Ezeiza Airport. Comet flights to New York began in May 1959.

In the early 1960s the fleet consisted of four Comet 4s, four Convair 240s, 15 DC-3s, six DC-4s, five DC-6s and six Sandringhams, whereas the ten F-27s ordered in 1957 were still pending delivery.The 1960s saw the carrier ordering the Avro 748 turboprop airliner.The aircraft started services on 15 February 1962 between Buenos Aires and Punta del Este.

The first flight for the Caravelle in Aerolíneas colours was Buenos Aires–Santiago de Chile on 1 April 1962.At April 1965 the carrier had 5,960 employees, and the fleet consisted of three Comet 4s, one Comet 4C, three Caravelles, 12 DC-3s three of them freighters, six DC-4s, three DC-6s and 12 HS-748s.

In 1966, loans granted by the Ex-Im Bank and Boeing permitted the purchase of a number of Boeing 707-320Bs in a deal worth US$37,000,000 ,equivalent to $273,116,923 in 2016.In November 1969, the carrier entered a pool agreement with Lufthansa covering services between Germany and Argentina.

By March 1970, Aerolíneas Argentinas had a fleet of six Boeing 707s that served routes to Europe and the United States, three Caravelles 6Rs and four Comet 4s that flew regional services, and 12 HS-748s that flew domestically, whereas six Boeing 737-200s were on order.During the decade, the fleet saw the arrival of three different aircraft types from Boeing: the 727—the first example entered the fleet in December 1977 on lease from Hughes AirWest and three more were ordered directly from Boeing, the 737 and the 747.

The incorporation of the Fokker F-28 into the fleet in the mid-1970s prompted the withdrawal of the last HS-748s, making the company to be the first South American airline in operating an all-jet aircraft park.Frankfurt, Madrid and Rome became the first destinations to be served with the brand new 747s, starting January 1977.

Another milestone for the company took place in June 1980 with the first south polar scheduled service, linking Buenos Aires with Hong Kong via Auckland.Late that year, a second-hand Boeing 747SP was acquired from Braniff for US$51,000,000 equivalent to $148,241,922 in 2016.

The airline was assigned by law the monopoly of international operations from Argentina in 1971.This meant no other Argentine airline was able to operate international flights, let alone the already created Austral. The carrier therefore became the flag carrier of the country. The same law also assigned Aerolineas Argentinas a 50% of the domestic market share.

Following the acquisition of Austral by the Argentine government in 1980, both Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral became government-owned, to the extent that some routes were simultaneously operated, even using similar equipment. However, there existed a state of continuous tension over salary differences between both companies that eventually led the Aerolineas Argentinas' pilots to a three-week-long strike that started on 1 July 1986.

During this strike, the government leased pilots from the Argentine Air Force to operate some aircraft. Other companies took advantage from this situation and gained the market share Aerolineas Argentinas lost, as domestic routes were operated by Austral, LADE and LAPA, and the government temporarily authorised foreign carriers to exploit the company's international routes.

During and shortly after the Falklands War in 1982, the company was banned from British airspace. There used to be a flight from London-Gatwick to Argentina's capital; however, because of the ban, passengers bound to Argentina had to change planes at Madrid-Barajas.

At March 1985, Aerolineas Argentinas had 9,822 employees. At this time, the fleet comprised one Boeing 707-320B, one Boeing 707-320C, seven Boeing 727-200s, ten Boeing 737-200s, two Boeing 737-200Cs, five Boeing 747-200Bs, one Boeing 747SP, two Fokker F28-1000s and a Fokker F28-4000.

The international network radiated from Buenos Aires and served Asuncion, Auckland, Bogota, Cape Town, Caracas, Frankfurt, Guayaquil, Hong Kong, La Paz, Lima, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, Montevideo, Montreal, New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sao Paulo, Santiago, Porto Alegre and Zurich.Sydney was first served in 1989 and flights to London resumed in January 1990.

The privatisation of the company started being considered under the government of Raul Alfonsín, when SAS was proposed to become a 40% shareholder of the state company.This was firmly resisted by the Peronist opposition.The staff had grown to 10,372 by March 1990.

In 1990,a consortium led by Iberia and Austral's owner Cielos del Sur S.A. acquired an 85% stake in Aerolineas Argentinas for US$130,000,000 equivalent to $238,311,258 in 2016 in cash, the same amount to be injected within a ten-month period, and a debt-equity exchange worth US$2.01 billion.

Another consortium led by Alitalia, American Airlines, KLM and Varig had earlier pulled out from the process.Paradoxically, one of the first actions taken by the new Peronist government was to privatise the carrier, after airily opposing to the privatisation propositions of its predecessor.

The sale of the airline followed the divestiture of the government shareholding in the national telephone company, which took place earlier that month during the Carlos Menem presidency's privatisation wave, intended to divest the participation of the State in a number of enterprises in order to reduce the debt to foreign banks from US$40 billion to US$7 billion.

Aimed at favouring the privatisation process, the government absorbed a US$741 million debt the company took between 1981 and 1982 for capitalisation purposes.Despite the carrier being regarded as overstaffed and bureaucratic, it was debt-free at that time, having an average profitability of US$90 million a year;it actually had US$719 million in revenues for the year prior to the privatisation.

The privatisation contract, which specified the buyer should pay US$260 million in cash and US$1,610 million in external debt bonds, was ratified by the Supreme Court.

Furthermore, a clause enabled the buyer to indebt Aerolineas Argentinas for the buyout process; this was reflected in the airline's 1991 balance, which included debts worth US$390 millions for its own acquisition. It was not until 2009 that this privatisation process would be ruled as illegal.

Austral's owner Cielos del Sur S.A. was sold to Iberia in March 1991, further increasing the Spanish flag carrier's stake in the Argentine air market.Aerolíneas Argentinas and Austral never merged throughout the private era, and remained as separate companies with the same shareholder. Iberia subsequently boosted its stake in the airline to 85% in April 1994 after a US$500,000,000 equivalent to $807,925,460 in 2016 cash injection.

Out of the remaining 15%, the Argentine Government held the 5% stake it was initially assigned, while 10% belonged to the employees. Furthermore, at this stage the Argentine Government resigned to the voting privilege it had in the Directory of the airline.Iberia was subsequently obliged by the European Commission to cut its stake in Aerolineas Argentinas as a condition for receiving state aid.

It thence reduced its participation to 20%, transferring the remaining 65% to Interinvest/Andes holding, a consortium comprising the Spanish Government holding company (SEPI) –the actual owner of Iberia before it was privatised in 2001 and banks Merrill Lynch and Bankers Trust, among others.

In July 1997, Iberia cut again its stake in Aerolineas Argentinas from 20% to 10%, while American Airlines's parent company AMR acquired a 10% stake of Aerolineas Argentinas/Austral's major stockholder Interinvest,equivalent to a participation of 8.5% in both Argentine companies,with the commitment of finding investors for Aerolineas Argentinas.AMR's 8.5% operation was finally cleared by the United States Department of Justice in early July 1998.

By that time, the Argentine Government still owned a 5% stake in Aerolineas Argentinas.Losses had mounted to US$927 million since 1992,totalling US$150 million only for 1999. The restructuring plan presented by AMR, mainly aimed at reverting these losses, was rejected by the SEPI.

Furthermore, given that the AMR Corporation did not find purchasers for the company, the SEPI put the control of the airline back into Spanish hands.The vacancy left in the management positions that followed the departure of the AMR holding from Aerolíneas was soon filled in by the SEPI. In order to protect the interests of the Argentine national carrier, the government suspended an open skies agreement between Argentina and the United States that would come into force in September 2000.

The airline had 5,384 employees at March 2000. At this time, the aircraft park consisted of two Airbus A310-300s, four Airbus A340-200s, four Boeing 737-200s, Boeing 737-200 Advanced, one Boeing 737-200C and nine Boeing 747-200Bs, whereas six Airbus A340-600s were on order.

The list of international destinations served at the time was Asuncion, Auckland, Bogota, Cancun, Caracas, Florianopolis, Lima, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, Montevideo, New York, Orlando, Paris, Punta del Este, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Sydney; domestic services to Catamarca, Comodoro Rivadavia, Cordoba, Corrientes, Esquel, Iguazu, Jujuy, La Rioja, Mar del Plata, Mendoza, Neuquen, Posadas, President Roque Saenz Pena, Resistencia, Rio Gallegos, Rio Grande, Rosario, Salta, San Carlos de Bariloche, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Trelew, Tucuman, Ushuaia and Villa Gesell were also operated.

Allegations of corruption were made on the basis of the price paid by Iberia and the Spanish firm's ulterior conduct including some convoluted lease-back operations, with the airline paying the price for its own purchase with its assets.Subsequent management by American Airlines and SEPI drove Aerolíneas Argentinas into an almost terminal crisis in 2001.

In June 2001, the aftermath began after the airline filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors,and went into administration;the salaries were paid by the Argentine Government, instead of using money coming from the SEPI.The payment of salaries for the upcoming months was suspended, as the mechanics union refused to accept the reorganisation plan raised by the SEPI to keep the company afloat.

On 6 June,flights to Auckland, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Sao Paulo, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro were halted.Owing to a US$15 million debt with the fuel supplier,the suspension of the daily flight to Madrid, which also served Rome and was the last connection with Europe,followed a week later.After this, most of the fleet was grounded, and only 30% and 10% of domestic and international flights, respectively, were operating.

Marsans group acquired a 92% stake through its subsidiary Air Comet from the SEPI in late 2001,and committed to inject US$50 million capital with the intention of resuming short as well as long–haul services.The resumption of international flights started in early November 2001.At July 2002, the airline and its subsidiaries employed 7,090.The company exited bankruptcy in January 2003 and emerged from administration a month later.That year, the first profit in five years was announced, along with an important increase in market share.

In May 2008, an initial agreement between the Argentine government and Grupo Marsans in which the latter would decrease its participation in the airline to 35% was announced; in reducing their holding, Marsans would make room for new private investors as well as for the government of Argentina to increase its stake in the airline from 5% to 20%.

Amid accusations from Marsans and following the disclosure of an agreement,the Argentine Government took the airline back into state control in July 2008 after acquiring 99.4% of the stake for an undisclosed price; the remaining 0.6% continued being owned by the company's employees.At this time, the company had 40% of its fleet grounded.

The Act renationalising Aerolineas Argentinas and its subsidiary Austral Lineas Aereas was passed by the Chamber of Deputies in August 2008, and became law in September 2008 following the 46-21 vote in the Argentine Senate.There were disagreements regarding the value to be paid by Grupo Marsans to the government.Negotiations fell through, and an administrator was appointed by an Argentine court in November that year in order to oversee the running of the company.

A vote by both the lower and the upper houses of the Argentine congress in support of taking over the company and its subsidiaries took place in December,when the Chamber of Deputies voted 152-84 in favor of the expropriation, and the Senate approved the bill by a 42-20 vote.

In March 2011, the different unions that affiliate the airline staff demonstrated over concerns the government was looking for local private investors to participate in ownership of the company.In September that year, the airline emerged from the reorganisation proceedings it had filed in 2001.

In late November 2011, the government announced an austerity plan for the company in order to reduce the deficit it has been incurring since being taken over from Marsans; the plan included the revision of unprofitable routes, the reduction of pilot/aircraft pay rates, and the abandonment of obsolete equipment, among others.

Passenger traffic for the group reached a record 8.5 million in 2013, a 57% increase from the time of its renationalization in 2008. Revenues rose to a record of USD2 billion in 2013, an 85% increase from 2008 levels; losses likewise declined from USD 860 million (78% of revenues) to USD250 million (12% of revenues). Corporate assets as of 2012 had tripled to over USD1.6 billion, as the group's fleet grew from 26 to 63 planes and the average age of same was reduced from 20 years to 7.5.

Aerolineas Argentinas was completely owned by the government of Argentina, as of December 2014.As of December 2013, Aerolineas Argentinas Cargo, domestic airline Austral Lineas Aereas, ramp service provider Aerohandling, cargo division JetPaq S.A., and tourism operator Optar S.A. are listed as Aerolíneas Argentinas subsidiaries.The airline and its subsidiaries operates from two hubs, both located in Buenos Aires.

Operations of domestic and regional flights by the smaller aircraft types in the fleet are concentrated at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, which also serves as its operating base, whereas Ministro Pistarini International Airport is mainly used for international services,although some regional and a few domestic services are operated as well. The company provides free-of-charge transportation to those passengers that need to change from one airport to the other.

As of April 2014, the airline and its subsidiaries employ 11,515.

As of July 2017, Mario Dell'Acqua is the president of the company.

Aerolineas Argentinas is headquartered at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery, located in Buenos Aires city.

With the mentoring of Delta Air Lines,the company signed an agreement to begin the process of joining SkyTeam in late November 2010. It became the first South American and the second Latin American carrier in joining the alliance in August 2012, as well as its 18th overall member. The airline's cargo division, Aerolineas Argentinas Cargo, joined SkyTeam Cargo in November 2013,becoming the 12th member airline of the alliance.

As of August 2017, Aerolíneas Argentinas has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

- Aeromexico

- Air Europa

- Air France

- Air New Zealand

- Alitalia

- Delta Air Lines

- Etihad Airways

- Gol Transportes Aereos

- KLM

- Korean Air

Aerolíneas Argentinas began to modernise its fleet in 2009, when it agreed to lease ten Boeing 737-700s and to purchase two more of these aircraft that would act as a replacement for the ageing Boeing 737-200s and MD-80s.Along with the first leased ones, the two brand new aircraft —which became the first ones acquired by the company in 17 years were incorporated into the fleet in mid-2009.In November, the Boeing 737-200 made its last flight on a scheduled Buenos Aires–Catamarca–La Rioja–Buenos Aires passenger service.

It had been announced in October 2009 that the carrier was looking for about six Boeing 737-800 aircraft, both to complement the 12 Boeing 737-700s and to replace the ageing Boeing 737-500s.In late November 2010, the airline agreed to lease a further ten aircraft of the –700 series from ILFC,which started being delivered in April 2011.

As of November 2012, the airline was considering both the Airbus A350-900 and the Boeing 787-9 as replacement aircraft for the long-haul fleet.The incorporation of leased Airbus A330-200s in 2013 for serving routes to Bogota, Cancun, Caracas and Miami was also planned, whereas an increased maximum takeoff weight version of the same type was also under consideration to partly replace the Airbus A340-200s by 2016.

In April 2013, Air Lease Corporation announced the lease of six Boeing 737-800s to the company, with deliveries starting in November 2014; in May 2013, CIT Aerospace announced the lease of four additional aircraft of the same type, with deliveries starting in January 2014.In October the same year, an agreement for the acquisition of 20 more aircraft of the type, worth US$1.8 billion, was announced.

In addition to the lease of four used Airbus A330-200s from ILFC —the first of them delivered in September 2013— Aerolíneas Argentinas signed in November a memorandum of understanding with Airbus, aimed at acquiring four more aircraft of the type.In a transaction worth US$887 million, the order was firmed up in February 2014.These aircraft will be fitted with GE Aviation CF6-80E1 engines.

The first Airbus A330-200 directly purchased from Airbus was delivered in March 2015.

In June 2010, Aerolineas Argentinas revamped its image to give the airline a more modern appearance.The new logo is a combination of light blue and grey colours.Likewise, the previous eurowhite livery is replaced with a combination of the Argentine flag colours plus grey.Subsidiary airline Austral also adopted this new livery, additionally including a red cheatline.

According to the Aviation Safety Network database, the last accident involving a company's aircraft that yielded fatalities was in 1970, as of October 2011; Aviation Safety Network records 43 accidents or incidents for Aerolineas Argentinas since it started operations in 1950. The company ranks among the safest airlines in the world.



Tourism Observer

INDIA: Devastating Floods In Mumbai

For many of the poor in this city, each year contains just two seasons: the demolition season and the rain.

Every winter, when Mumbai is dry, the police come with wrecking crews and rip down countless slum homes.

And every summer, when the monsoon hits, many of these same areas get flooded.

Filthy water, swirling with oil stains, rushes into houses and sweeps away the few possessions, leaving behind plastic bottles, coconut husks, rocks, sticks and bundles of rags.

On Tuesday night, a heavy storm landed in Mumbai. Families living in a plastic-roofed shelter squeezed between an overpass and a set of railroad tracks, raced to a highway median high ground where they spent the night watching their homes washed away by water.

In India’s financial capital, epic floods are part of the landscape. This megacity of 18 million sits on a peninsula surrounded by the sea.

Many of its sewers and drains were built more than 80 years ago, when Mumbai was a small fraction of its current size. In 2005, in this same area, more than 1,000 people died during the monsoon season.

The rains on Tuesday were bad ,estimated to be more than 10 inches in 12 hours but nowhere near the deluge of 2005.

The authorities said at least five people died, including one doctor walking home from work who was sucked down an open manhole. By Wednesday, the city snapped back to normal.

Traffic flowed down the mud-streaked boulevards and cleanup crews sawed apart downed trees. Parts of the city still smelled fishy, though, possibly from a tidal surge that mixed with the rainwater and submerged entire streets.

As is often the case when real disaster strikes, people seemed to band together.

A light rain falling, two men zoomed across a bridge on a small motorcycle, the passenger wearing a yellow plastic rain jacket and the driver wearing yellow plastic pants, apparently from one set they had divided into two.

In the Dhurve family’s neighborhood, many women stepped out of their homes to help clean, wearing gowns in oranges, pinks and sapphire blues — the bright colors an almost cruel contrast to the drab surroundings they inhabit. Their houses are plastic lean-tos, dozens in a row, built on a dirty sidewalk.

“We don’t even have a dream of where we would go,” said Suraj Dhurve, the father.

Mr. Dhurve is a dishwasher, as are many of his neighbors. The neighborhood is, in essence, a dishwashers’ colony, although people here phrase it a little differently, saying they work in the catering business.

A new monorail runs above the road. Fancy cars swoosh past. But for this group of about 50 interconnected families, Mumbai’s opulence and opportunities seem out of reach.

Most of the adults are illiterate. Families of six survive on $10 a week. Their homes are considered illegal, and when the weather is good, the police and demolition crews show up.

Nobody in the colony on Wednesday was talking about the flooding half a world away in Houston, or even seemed aware of it. But the comparison has not escaped Indian intellectuals, including those in the news business.

India’s Houston was the headline one news site used for a Mumbai flood story. Another paper ran side-by-side photos of the floods in each place.

After news agencies reported that a curfew had been imposed in Houston to stop looting, many Indians posted proud Twitter messages saying nothing of the sort was happening in Mumbai, even in the poorest parts.

Here in Mumbai, wrote Anand Mahindra, a well-known executive, a friend stuck in a car to the airport for 5 hrs told me that slum dwellers came out to serve stranded people tea & biscuits.



Tourism Observer

GREECE: Ancient Merenda Site Expanded

The ancient site of Merenda, formerly the ancient city of Myrrinous where one of the most important works of Archaic art was found, the Phrasikleia Kore, is being expanded and now officially comes under the protection and maintenance of the Central Archaeological Council (KAS).

The area, declared an archaeological site in 1989, has now been expanded to include locations where a large number of archaeological treasures dating back to prehistoric and post-Byzantine times came to light.

The site now includes antiquities located within the Olympic facilities including a 15-room farmhouse dating back to the late 4th-3rd century BC, a 4th century BC burial enclosure as well as a preserved section of an ancient road.

The ancient city of Myrrinous, in southeastern Attica near Markopoulo, came to light with excavation work that took place ahead of the Athens 2004 Olympics.



Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Good Samaritan Returns Stolen Artifact

A stolen fragment of a marble pipe, which was taken from the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia and illegally exported to Germany, has been repatriated, the Ministry of Culture announced on Wednesday.

The ancient artifact was delivered to the office of the Greek Embassy in Berlin by a German citizen, who said that it was probably transferred from the Stadium of Ancient of Oympia to Germany in the 1930s.

The director of excavations in Olympia, Reinhard Senff, was also notified and the fragment was transferred by airplane to Athens on August 10 and then to Ancient Olympia to the Archaeological Museum.

Following a first inspection it is believed to be part of a water pipe.

Parts of an advanced network of water pipes, used for irrigation purposes and the draining of rainwater, are still visible today in Ancient Olympia.



Tourism Observer

ARGENTINA: Etihad Airways and Aerolíneas Argentinas Sign Codeshare Partnership

Aerolineas Argentinas and Etihad Airways have signed a codeshare agreement, which will provide their customers with more convenient connections via Rome and Madrid to Buenos Aires and onward to nine other popular destinations in Argentina.

More specifically, the new connections will enable travelers to reach Cordoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Iguazu, Salta, Mar del Plata, Bariloche, Trelew, and Ushuaia.

Furthermore, Aerolíneas Argentinas’ guests will be able to access Etihad Airways’ network of over 100 destinations from its Abu Dhabi hub via the Italian and Spanish capitals.

This codeshare demonstrates the importance of Argentina as a vital travel market for Etihad Airways in Latin America, given the growing tourism, cultural and business opportunities that exist between the UAE and Argentina,Mohammad Al Bulooki, Etihad Airways executive vice president commercial said.

The agreement also foresees that Etihad Guest members and Aerolíneas Plus members will be able to earn and redeem miles on codeshare flights.

This is a very good opportunity to consolidate and increase our offer to one of the most important hubs in the Middle East.

It also allows us to improve our load factors, optimize the use our fleet and strengthen the image of Aerolineas Argentinas in the Asian market, Diego Garcia, Aerolineas Argentinas chief commercial officer said.

Based in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways flies to, or has announced plans to serve, more than 110 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.

From its headquarters in Buenos Aires, Aerolineas Argentinas flies to 24 international destinations in America and Europe. Together with Austral Lineas Aereas, Aerolineas Argentinas operates flights to 37 destinations in the country. Discover the World is the carrier’s General Sales Agent (GSA) in Greece and Cyprus.



Tourism Observer

GREECE: Greek Hotel Group Lampsa Eyes To Acquire Two Hotels In Athens

Greek hotels group Lampsa SA is placing its bets on the capital, expecting in the immediate future the go-ahead via competitions for two projects in the heart of Athens: the King George and a property on the corner of Kriezotou and Panepistimiou sts.

The 5-star King George, dating back to the 1930s, was put on sale in May by its owner Eurobank.

The 102-room 9,450m2 hotel right next to the Hotel Grande Bretagne, consists of three underground levels, a ground floor, a mezzanine, eight storeys and a rooftop, and was leased to Lampsa SA in 2012.

Lampsa management told Greek daily Naftemporiki that it expects an answer from Europbank in the coming days.

The decision for the second project, a nine-floor property that once housed the King’s Palace hotel on the corner of Kriezotou and Panepistimiou sts owned by ATE former Agrotiki Bank, is expected to be announced on September 5.

The winning party will be required to invest over 10 million euros to convert the premises into a five-star unit.

Lampsa SA – a Laskaridis Group company – has been listed on the Athens Stock Exchange since 1946 and is active in the hospitality sector owning among others the Grande Bretagne in Athens, the Sheraton Rhodes Resort, and the Hyatt Regency in Belgrade.



Tourism Observer

SPAIN: Spain Is Over Booked, Tourists Heading For Greece, Portugal And Italy

Higher prices and over crowding in Spain are expected to boost tourism to cheaper destinations including Greece, according to TUI Group.

According to media reports, TUI Chief Executive Officer Fritz Joussen said that the high demand for Spain in the last two years has led to rising prices and this may in turn benefit other more affordable destinations.

At the same time, holidaymakers have turned away from Eastern Mediterranean and Northern Africa destinations for fear of terror activity there opting instead for Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy.

Joussen estimates that Spain will repeat last year’s records benefitting greatly from its blooming tourism sector but is faced with new challenges which must be addressed effectively.

Greece, in the meantime, may be more affordable compared to Spain but prices there are also increasing combined with a series of new taxes including a highly debated overnight surcharge to be charged by hotels next year which are bound to take a toll on its tourism growth as Turkey tries to lure tourists back with very low prices.

TUI said it aims to boost capacity to Turkey next summer.




Tourism Observer

IVORY COAST: Abidjan Is Paris Of West-Africa,Women Should Not Go Unaccompanied At Night,Bribes Are A Must

Abidjan is the biggest and most important city of Cote d'Ivoire. With a population of around 4,000,000 people, it is the second largest city in West Africa after Lagos and has historically been the economic power base of the region.

Abidjan is the economic capital of Ivory Coast and is one of the most populous French-speaking cities in Africa.

According to the 2014 Ivory Coast census, Abidjan's population was 4.7 million, which is 20 percent of the overall population of the country, and this also makes it the 4th most populous city proper in Africa, after Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasa. Considered the cultural crossroads of Africa, Abidjan is characterised by a high level of industrialisation and urbanisation.

The city expanded quickly after the construction of a new wharf in 1931, followed by its designation as the capital city of the then-French colony in 1933. Abidjan remained the capital of Ivory Coast after its independence from France in 1960.

The completion of the Vridi Canal in 1951 enabled Abidjan to become an important sea port. In 1983, the city of Yamoussoukro was designated as the official political capital of Cote d'Ivoire. However, almost all political institutions and foreign embassies continue to be located in Abidjan.

Because Abidjan is also the largest city in the country and the centre of its economic activity, it has officially been designated as the economic capital of the country. The Abidjan Autonomous District, which encompasses the city and some of its suburbs, is one of the 14 districts of Ivory Coast.

In the 1980s, Jean-Bédel Bokassa took refuge in Abidjan after his ouster from power in the Central Africa Republic.

Abidjan was originally a small Atchan fishing village. In 1896, following a series of deadly yellow fever epidemics, French colonists who had initially settled in Grand-Bassam decided to move to a safer place and in 1898 chose the current location of Abidjan.

In 1903 it officially became a town.[The settlers were followed by the colonial government, created in 1899. But then nearby Bingerville became the capital of the French colony, from 1900 until 1934.

The future Abidjan, situated on the edge of the lagoon n'doupe or the lagoon in hot water, offered more land and greater opportunities for trade expansion. The wharf in Petit Bassam now Port-Bouet south of town quickly overtook the wharf of Grand-Bassam in importance, and became the main point of economic access to the colony.

In 1904, the rail terminus was located in the Port-Bouet area of Abidjan.Starting in 1904, when Bingerville was not yet complete, Abidjan became the main economic hub of the colony of Ivory Coast and a prime channel for distributing products to the European hinterland, particularly through the Lebanese community, which was increasing in importance.

Henri de Fougeres became governor of French Sudan in 1924, and remained governor until his death in 1931. One of the main streets of Abidjan still bears his name.

The traditional language of the city was Ebrie. Since independence, the official language in Abidjan and throughout Ivory Coast has been French.

While the official language is a formal variety standard French similar to that of Paris, the most commonly spoken form of French spoken in Abidjan is a colloquial dialect known as français de Treichville or français de Moussa which differs from standard French in pronunciation and in some of its vocabulary.

Another form of spoken French in Abidjan is Nouchi, a highly informal variety used as adolescent slang. The historical lingua franca, still spoken and understood by most of the trading population of Abidjan, is Dioula. The city hosts many Ivorians from all over the country and about sixty vernacular languages are spoken, such as Attie, Baoule, Bete, and Wobe.

Abidjan is surrounded by more than thirty villages where Baoule and Ebrie are still commonly spoken.

Abidjan lies on the south-east coast of the country, on the Gulf of Guinea. The city is located on the Ebrie Lagoon. The business district, Le Plateau, is the center of the city, along with Cocody, Deux Plateaux the city's wealthiest neighborhood and a hub for diplomats, and Adjame, a slum on the north shore of the lagoon.

Treichville and Marcory lie to the south, Attecoube, Locodjro, Abobo Doume and Yopougon to the west, and Ile Boulay is located in the middle of the lagoon. Further south lies Port Bouët, home to the airport and main seaport. Abidjan is located at 5°25′ North, 4°2′ West (5.41667, −4.03333).

Abidjan experiences a tropical wet and dry climate (Aw), according to the Koppen climate classification. Abidjan has nonconsecutive rainy seasons precipitation above 60 millimetres (2.4 in) with a long rainy season from March to July and a short rainy season from September to December, and three dry months January, February and August.

Precipitation is abundant during the summer months, except for August, due to activation of the Benguela Current, which reduces the precipitation total throughout the month.The Benguela Current also lowers the mean temperature during August, making it the coolest month of the year, averaging 24.5 °C (76.1 °F).

Abidjan has two additional dry months (January and February). Abidjan is generally humid, with average relative humidity above 80% throughout the year.

In 1931, Plateau and what would become Treichville were connected by a floating bridge, more or less where the Houphouet-Boigny Bridge stands today. The year 1931 also saw addresses begin to be assigned to the streets of Abidjan for the first time. The addressing project was temporarily concluded in 1964, under the leadership of Mayor Konan Kanga, then badly redone American-style in 1993.

Abidjan became the third capital of Ivory Coast by a 1934 decree, following Grand-Bassam and Bingerville. Several villages in Tchaman were then deserted. The leader of the Tchaman community can still be found in Adjame center or meeting in Tchaman, north of the Plateau.

South of the Plateau district,the current central district of the city of Abidjan, the village of Dugbeo was moved across the lagoon to Anoumabo, or the forest of fruit bats, which became the neighborhood of Treichville now known as Commikro, city of clerks.

Treichville was renamed in 1934 in honour of Marcel Treich-Laplenie (1860–1890), the first explorer of the Ivory Coast and its first colonial administrator, considered its founder. Instead of Dugbeyo, is the current Treich-Laplenie Avenue, the bus station and water lagoon buses in Plateau, and the Avenue Charles de Gaulle commonly called Rue du Commerce.

The city was laid out like most colonial towns, on a grid plan. Le Plateau or m'brato in Tchaman were inhabited by settlers. In the north, the city was inhabited by the colonized. The two zones were separated by the Gallieni Military Barracks, where now there is the current courthouse.

Near the port, originally named Boulevard de Marseille, settlers became defensive and stole a street sign of a famous street of Marseille renamed the street Canebiere, a sand track. This is the legend behind the first Blohorn oil mills, in Cocody and a racetrack was built in the south of the city.

In Le Plateau in the 1940s, the Bardon Park Hotel was built, the first air-conditioned hotel working in francophone Africa.

Abidjan's lagoon became connected to the sea once the 15m-deep Vridi canal was completed in 1950.Soon Abidjan became the financial center of West Africa. In 1958, the first bridge to connect Petit-Bassam Island with the mainland was completed.

When Cote d’Ivoire became independent in 1960, Abidjan became the new country’s administrative and economic center. The axis south of Treichville, towards the international airport and the beaches, became the heart of European and middle-class Abidjan.

The city saw considerable population growth in the decades following independence, expanding from 180,000 inhabitants in 1960 to 1,269,000 in 1978.Abidjan’s skyline dates back to the economic prosperity of this period.

New districts such as the upmarket Cocody were founded during in this period; built to a large extent in a colonial style, Cocody has since become home to Cote d’Ivoire’s wealthy classes as well as expatriates and foreign diplomats. The district is home to the embassy of France, Hotel Ivoire which for a long time, was the only African hotel to have a skating rink, and, since 2009, the largest U.S. embassy in West Africa.

Construction on St. Paul’s Cathedral, designed by Italian architect Aldo Spirito, began with the 1980 groundbreaking by Pope John Paul II and was completed in 1985. From the 1980s, Abidjan’s fortunes declined as a result of negligence on the part of officials as well as corruption and general degradation.

In 1983, the village of Yamoussoukro became the new political capital of Ivory Coast under the leadership of President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, who was born in Yamoussoukro.

From 2002 to 2007 and especially from 2010-2011, Abidjan suffered from the consequences of the First and Second Ivorian Civil Wars. In November 2004, armed conflict broke out between French forces and Ivorian forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo after the Ivorian Air Force attacked French peacekeepers in northern Cote d’Ivoire.

After France destroyed Cote d’Ivoire’s air capabilities in retaliation, pro-Gbagbo groups staged riots and looting in Abidjan and targeted French homes, schools, and businesses.French peacekeepers moved into the city to calm the situation. Other crises during the first civil war period include the case of the Probo Koala in 2006, in which disposed products caused thousands of residents to seek medical attention.

Cote d’Ivoire’s civil conflicts seriously impacted the security situation in Abidjan. Amidst the anti-French riots in November 2004, 4,000 prisoners in Abidjan escaped from the country’s largest prison

Abidjan was one of the main theaters of the 2010-2011 Ivorian crisis and the site of major demonstrations against incumbent president Gbagbo, including one on International Women’s Day in 2011 that saw several demonstrators killed by Gbagbo’s forces.

The end of the crisis came with Gbagbo’s capture in Abidjan in April 2011, following a major offensive by forces loyal to election winner Alassane Ouattara with support from France and the UN.

The University of Abidjan (1958),technical colleges, and the National Library of Ivory Coast and National museum are in Abidjan.

Sights in Abidjan include St Paul's Cathedral designed by Aldo Spirito, the Cocody Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art and the Parc du Banco rainforest reserve.

Plateau is known for its skyscrapers, which are unusual in West Africa. It is the business centre of Abidjan. With its gleaming skyscrapers, high-end shops, and outdoor cafes, Plateau is a favourite place of business travelers. There are also many different banks located in the Plateau district.

The majority of Ivorian government institutions are still located in Abidjan and have not been transferred to the political capital, Yamoussoukro. The President's office is in Cocody, and the parliament, the Constitutional Council, the Supreme Court, and the Chancellery of the National Order are all in Plateau.

Under the presidency of Laurent Gbagbo (2000–11), efforts were made to give effect to the project of making the political capital Yamoussoukro in Ivory Coast.This goal continues to be the consensus of the country's political leaders.

Government offices are located in Le Plateau in the administrative district of Abidjan, Boulevard Carde or Angoulvant Boulevard near the Cathedral of St. Paul of Abidjan, or elsewhere in the great buildings of the town.

The instability of the 2002-2007 civil war and 2010-2011 crisis saw foreign peacekeeping forces stationed in Abidjan. The United Nations Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), established in April 2004, has its headquarters at the former Hotel Sebroko in Attecoube.

While the size of the force has been reduced since the end of the 2011 crisis, UNOCI’s mandate was extended in 2013 and again in 2015. The force remains authorized to maintain up to 5,245 troops, 192 observers, 1,500 police and eight customs officers in the country.

France’s peacekeeping operations in Cote d’Ivoire continued under the aegis of Operation Unicorn until 2015 and then as the French forces in Cote d’Ivoire from 2015 onward. In 2014, French defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that Abidjan would be reinforced as the entry point for France’s military presence and counter terrorism operations in the Sahel region.

After al-Qaeda militants targeted beach goers at Grand Bassam in March 2016, the French government announced it would increase its troop deployment in Cote d’Ivoire from 500 to 900.French soldiers are based in Port-Bouet as well as at the Abidjan airport.

In 2007, Pierre Laba’s comedy film Permanent Danger explored the laxity of the police against banditry in major African cities, specifically in Abidjan.

Since 2000, Ivory Coast has experienced a sharp rise in drug trafficking. Drug dens arise mainly in informal settlements and there has been a recent spike in demand among unemployed youth and Ivorian vagrants. The Ivorian police increasingly focus on the fight against trafficking and drug use in the district of Abidjan.

A report by the Office of the UN says West Africa plays an increasingly important role in the transit of cocaine to Latin American and Europe.According to an investigation by a United Nations commission for the fight against drug trafficking, 46% of adolescents in West Africa are dependent on illegal drugs. In May 2007, seven drug houses were dismantled and 191 people arrested including a military officer.

Abidjan is home to Port-Bouet, one of the six French military bases that still exist in Africa,Dakar, Libreville, Bouar CAR, N'Djamena and Djibouti. Thousands of people live there, around the 43rd BIMA which is permanently in place in accordance with established defense agreements on 24 April 1961 linking the two countries.

Abidjan is the regional headquarters of major international institutions: UNICEF, UN Development Program, World Health Organization, World Food Program, UNOPS,UNFPA,International Labour Organization (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), etc. International nations all have representation in Abidjan, most of which serve sub-region

The American Embassy is located in Ivory Coast while the African Development Bank (ADB) moved for a while to Tunisia, which is the largest financial institution in Africa.

The 1998 census recorded Abidjan's population as 2,877,923. Estimates for the population of the Abidjan metropolitan area as of 2005 vary between 4 and 5 million inhabitants. As Abidjan is inhabited by people from a wide array of different ethnicities, French is commonly spoken in the metropolitan area, which is the fourth largest French speaking metropolitan area in the world after Paris, Montreal and Kinshasa.

Colloquial Abidjan French has even appeared, which has a different pronunciation and some familiar words from standard French. Abidjan is recognized as one of the few areas in Africa where French colloquial Abidjan French is truly a native tongue,along with Libreville, Gabon.

The population of Abidjan was 4,707,404 at the 2014 census. In 2006, the metropolitan area of Abidjan had 5,060,858 inhabitants. This population increase can be attributed to the displacement since September 2002 caused by the war. Many inhabitants come to live in town for employment and safer housing.

By 1950, Abidjan had just exceeded a population of 50,000 at the end of 1948. Reaching a population of a million by the end of 1975, the city grew at a rate of 10 to 12% per year, doubling every six or seven years. However, this growth underwent a sharp decline due to the crises of the 1980s and 1990s. In the last 20 years of the 20th century, the growth rate dropped to 3–6%.

Birth rate growth was supplemented by migration, with the influx being substantial and the outflow only partly compensating the arrivals. The migration, prior to the census of 1988, contributed a growth of about 80,000 with 50,000 people from within Ivory Coast, and about 30,000 from abroad per year.

From within Ivory Coast, the migration pattern was dominated by Akan (South-east, 48%), then Mande (North-west, 24%) and Krou (South-west, 20%). From abroad, the migration was Burkinabes (30%), Malians (22%), Ghanaians (19%), Nigerien (11%), and Guineans (9%).Of the Non-African migration, Lebanese migration was higher than European migration, with the French being largest of these.

Non-African migration represents 3% of the total population of Abidjan, which is still the highest in the area.

The figures for 2006 estimated the population of Abidjan to 3,796,677 inhabitants, while the larger metropolitan area of Abidjan had 5,060,858 inhabitants. This population increase is mainly due to war events of September 2002. The town hosts many people in search of both jobs and secure homes.

Before 2014, the last population census in the country had taken place in 1998. It presented 2,877,948 inhabitants for the city.A new census was held in May 2014 and showed a population for the city of 4,707,404.

Modern districts like Plateau or Cocody have developed similar to those in Europe with the construction of large office towers and apartment buildings between the 1970s and the mid-1980.

Traditional neighborhoods like Treichville or Marcory maintained the system of concessions where housing is adjacent to the plant and an area of several houses, within the normal organization and multi centuries-old African villages.

The district of Cocody is also home to many single-storey wooden villas, surrounded by vast gardens of lush vegetation, fed by the heavy rains that water the city. Wealthier inhabitants constructed villas in imitation of Greek temples in this district. In addition, many houses were built on stilts on the edge of the Ebrie Lagoon. The town hall, a fine example of modernist architecture, was designed by architect Henri Chomette.

The urban network is disrupted, as Abidjan has seen its population double every seven years since 1945. Rural people are attracted by the opportunities of the city. Abidjan represents 45% of city dwellers in the Ivory Coast and 20% of the overall population.

The city is still the most populated in the country the second largest city in the country, Bouake which had 542,082 inhabitants in 2014 or the political capital, Yamoussoukro with 207,412 inhabitants in 2014.

Efforts have been made to address waste management issues in Abidjan. In 2006, a contract was signed between China and Ivory Coast: a Chinese company handling urban waste and industrial plans to treat all waste district this transformation also create daily cleaning.

French nongovernmental organisation ACTED rolled out a three-part project across three districts of Abidjan in 2016, establishing street cleaning, waste collection and hygiene training. ACTED spokesperson Jérémy Lescot described the project as a fine success.

Following the death of long term president-for-life Felix Houphouet Boigny in 1993, the fortunes for Abidjan changed a great deal and successive coup d'etats in Cote d'Ivoire caused a massive exodus of the foreigners living there.

Today, despite the current political issues in Cote d'Ivoire at large, Abidjan remains the economic and de facto capital of the country. Even after everything that's happened, it still boasts a large selection of restaurants, hotels, sites, and other reasons to visit.

For those traveling through West Africa, it is a must-see city with one of the liveliest night scenes to be found for 1,000 kilometers.

Flights To Abidjan:

- Air Cote d'Ivoire is a national carrier that offers connections to a number of destinations in West and East Africa.

- Air France from Paris

- Brussels Airlines from Brussels

- Egyptair from Cairo

- Emirates from Dubai (via Accra, no change of aircraft)

- Ethiopian Airlines from Addis Ababa

- Kenya Airways from Nairobi which continues to Dakar on the same aircraft.

- Middle East Airlines from Beirut via Accra or Lagos, no change of aircraft.

-Turkish Airlines from Istanbul

- Royal Air Maroc from Casablanca

The roads to Abidjan are quite good despite their maintenance not being kept up as much as it should as of late. Traffic lights all but disappear once outside of Abidjan though, so be advised that driving outside of the city can be active.

It's important to note that whether in a private car, taxi, or gbaka or the shared minibuses you will be stopped at various official and unofficial checkpoints where they will delay you at the very least and try to shake down a bribe at the very worst. Abidjan also serves as a terminus for long haul bus lines from Bamako, Mali, Ouagadougou, Burinka Faso, and Accra, Ghana.

If you are travelling from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Liberia and Togo, YSG Transport, Chisco Transport, Union Transport de Bouake (UTB Transport), STC Transport and Others are good recommendations. All the Road travelers travelling through West Africa are always allowed to enter the West African countries with or without passport,visa not needed as they are all among the ECOWAS States.

It is also worthy to note that other travelers from Nigeria can get to Abidjan and nearby West African capitals through the weekly transport system of Ejigbo, Osun State, Nigeria, International Travel Buses. They have daily and weekly travel scheme of an uninterrupted boderless travels from Nigeria to Cote d'Ivoire.

Some of the Travel organizers include; Bully Orelope, Ojo-Oba, Atanda 'Agee" Rambo Transport also known as IRT, Orit-marun, Ejigbo L.g.a, Laba Transport, STC Transport among others. You can get to Ejigbo, Osun State fom all Lagos' inter-city bus terminus, and from Osogbo.

The only train connection with Abidjan is the one that ends in Burkina Faso. While a possibly interesting ride, the schedule is quite unreliable and hard to predict.

Abidjan is quite spread out so walking can take a lot of time and bicycle riding isn't the safest choice except nearer the water in Zone Quatre. As such, there are many options to get around via motored transport.

They have a complex system that is comprised of two types of car taxis. The first type that most visitors will encounter are the orange or red-orange ones. These are legally able to operate anywhere in the city and you will most likely be able to ride solo in them. They are also the most expensive.

A ride from the airport will run most people,especially non-Africans who speak little French about 5,000 CFA, even to districts that are just 3km away. If willing to haggle a lot,the drivers will often complain that they have to pay a fee to pick up passengers there, which is a lie, you may be able to get it to 3,500 or 2,500 CFA. A ride between two distant districts such as Zone Quatre and Plateau will be about 2,000 CFA.

The other type of taxi is color-coded to operate in a specific neighborhood, such as the green taxis you'll see in an area such as Koumassi. These are significantly cheaper, but will most likely have to be shared and of course the distance they can travel is limited to a single neighborhood.

Travel books often make allusion to some taxis having meters. If they do and this is rare, they are never working and you always, always agree on the price prior to departure.

There are several bus routes throughout the city. They are cheap and decently reliable, although they are often incredibly crowded due to insufficient numbers. Some of the bus stations can be overwhelming though, such as Adjame which, for those new to travel in West African cities will be a lot to handle. There is also the threat of pickpockets in these crowded areas.

In 2010, the Ivorian government relaxed import restrictions on small motorcycles. Prior to this, the amount of motorcycles you would see on the street was negligible and there were absolutely none acting as taxis as it was illegal. Times are changing on this front, but be forewarned that going about Abidjan on the back of a moto is probably the number one way to die during travels, although it is cheap.

If you just need to cross the lagoon and can make use of one of the ferry routes, by all means take it. While the lagoon is polluted in some parts, it's still a wonderful ride and gazing at the Abidjan skyline from the water at sunset is delightful.

Abidjan is sometimes referred to as the "Paris of West-Africa". During the long and stable rule of the Ivory Coast's Godfather Felix Huphouet-Boigny the city of Abidjan has flourished. However, the political instability and the civil war of the past decade have taken their toll on the city.

Neglect, low maintenance of buildings and public space and the mass exodus of foreigners have given the city an atmosphere of "lost glory". Very nice is the public zoo. It really is a beautiful place with loads of interesting animals for just CFA 200, well worth this small sum. Also don't forget a trip to Bassam, Abidjan's no. 1 beach.

Places To Explore

- National Library of Cote d'Ivoire (Bibliotheque Nationale de Cote d'Ivoire)

- National Museum

- St Paul's Cathedral (Cathedrale Saint-Paul d'Abidjan)

- The Cocody Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art

- The Parc du Banco rainforest reserve

There are many places to eat Ivorian food, most of them on the sidewalk or on a small road side terrace. Make sure that you ask about the price before you sit down, in order to avoid lengthy discussions about the price when they try to overcharge you after the meal. The staple foods in the Ivory Coast are rice, cassava, yam and bread.

Bread is usually eaten at breakfast or as a supplement to the meal. The cassava (manioc) can be eaten cooked whole, as a mash called plakali, mixed with banana (foutou) or in crums (atchiki). Fish is usually the cheapest meal. European style cuisine can be found in the wealthier neighbourhoods such as Plateau, Cocody, Deux Plateaux and Zone 4.

The number one place to go out at night in Abidjan is Princess Road in Yopougon. There are many bars to just relax and drink and also loads of dancing with live music or deejays. Don't forget to order some fried spicy chicken; they prepare it for you right on the street.

- Abidjan is the Tiama in Plateau (the CBD) next to Standard Chartered Bank and opposite a police station.

- Civilisation will cost you around USD 150 a night.

- The Novotel is also OK and around the same price. The hotels Golf and Ivoire are owned by the government and very badly maintained.

- Cocody

- Hotel la riyo rooms from 35,000 next to total garage.

- Hotel licorne next door rooms start at 60,000cfa

There are a number of issues that plague Abidjan, which are indicative of the overall problems that Cote d'Ivoire is experiencing. First and foremost are the military checkpoints. While generally harmless for foreigners, they can make it maddening to get across the city in a timely fashion, especially if one is in a private car.

Bribes are commonplace, but not an absolute. Carrying small bills is always a good idea. Otherwise, just agreeing with the officer bothering you is the best course of action. If you are respectful, they will usually let you be, unless you are French, in which case you will be hassled a good deal more due to the Ivorians having heavy disdain for French involvement in their country.

Also if you are in a private car, you will notice that most people roll through red lights late at night. While illegal, there have been incidents of carjackings when people are stopped, so heed this warning as you see best.

Something else to keep in mind is that Cote d'Ivoire literally shuts down at midnight until 05:00. As a remnant of a curfew imposed during the last civil war, they barricade all the main points of entry and exit to all the towns. If you find yourself on the wrong side of that barricade when it is closed,such as staying in Bassam, but partying in Abidjan you will absolutely not be let through until 05:00.

Pickpockets are a problem in crowded places much like anywhere else in the world. Keep track of your personal items and make sure your bags are well closed when passing through busy bus stations or markets.

The most lively of neighborhoods such as Koumassi, Treichville, and Yopougon are probably best avoided, unless you go there with a local. Yopougon is undoubtedly the safest neighborhood with the most impressive assortment of street food, but there can also be young, drunken men in these areas who can be looking for trouble.

If you are not starting the trouble and try to diffuse the situation, you will probably not have any issues as people in Abidjan are used to an international crowd in their city.

Women should not go out unaccompanied at night. During the day, you will have no problems. Ivorian society is most definitely patriarchal, but at the same time, the men are respectful of international women and at times maybe a bit too respectful, giving you a lot more attention than you would like.

If you receive unwanted advances, just do as the local girls do and firmly tell them that you are not interested. They will eventually get the point or move on to other women.

Go Out

Abengourou - A small town three hours north where you can have an audience with the king of Indenie Kingdom.

Bouake - The second largest city of Cote d'Ivoire located in the dead center of the country with a lively market and night scene.

Grand-Bassam - About 45 minutes to the East and the original capital of the country with old Colonial architecture that is being restored and an excellent beach.

Jacqueville - A small, relaxing beach town that sits about an hour from Abidjan with a short, 450m ferry across the lagoon.

San Pedro - An old town about six hours West of Abidjan with nice beaches which serves as a secondary port city for the country.

The region near the lagoons is the most industrialized region of the country.

Major industries include food processing, lumber, automobile manufacturing, textiles, chemicals, and soap. There is also a large oil refinery. Its industries are mainly in construction and maintenance with the presence of major international groups: the furnace SETAO, Colas, Bouygues, Jean Lefebvre, and Swiss Holcim.

There are textile industries with the packaging of cotton in the north both for export or for on-site processing of cloth, canvas, batik clothing and miscellaneous. The textile sector is very dynamic, and represents 15.6% of net investment, 13% of turnover and 24% of the value added in Ivorian industry.

There are several offshore oil wells in operation as Ivory Coast is an oil producing country, which leads to the presence of a chemical industry with oil refineries, and an oil port. It also works on stones and precious metals for exportation.

The city also has a large wood processing plant at the port by river from the forests of central Canada. It exports natural mahogany, peeled wood, plywood and chipboard for the past two centuries.

Food industry mainly include: the production of palm oil, bergamot and Seville oranges. In the west, rubber is processed as well as manufacturing beverages from pineapples, oranges and mangoes, producing robust coffee: Ivory Coast is the third largest producer, behind Colombia and Brazil and processing cocoa,it is the third largest producer in the world behind Ghana and Indonesia.

37% of cocoa and 10% of coffee products undergo at least one first local processing. Abidjan is also the first African tuna port for the European market. This generated 3,000 salaried jobs and is an important source of foreign exchange. As in all countries of the Third World developing countries, much of the city's economy lies in what economists describe as informal economy with its many odd jobs.

The development of tertiary industry, with the establishment of international commercial banks and the increasing number of service companies of all types, appears to be the trend of recent years. Abidjan is the main financial center of French West Africa. The seat of the common stock exchange of West Africa (BRVM) is located in Abidjan. BRVM is mainly dominated by Ivorian firms.

The thermal power plant Azito, built in 1997 in partnership with EDF, located on the Yopougon on the edge of the lagoon and facing Ebrie Island Boulay, alone provides 300 MW.Two other power plants, built in 1984 and 1985, are installed in Vridi. Several utilities are installed in Abidjan: CI Energies, formerly SOPIE, which is a corporation state, ICE and CIPREL, subsidiaries of the French group SAUR Cote d'Ivoire produces all the electricity it consumes, and exports to neighboring countries, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso through the interconnection.

The production, which increases steadily, and gas storage are provided by two state companies: PETROCI and GESTOCI. A small industry of renewable energy production has also developed.

Abidjan is home to all the representatives of international financial institutions: World Bank, International Monetary Fund, African Development Bank, BOAD, etc. Banking Commission of WAEMU regional stock exchange securities subsidiaries of major international banks: BNP Paribas, General bank, Crédit Lyonnais, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Barclays, etc.

Sixteen national banks (SGBCI, BICI, etc.) maintaining a network of 170 branches, seven financial institutions and more than thirty insurance companies make a financial competitive Abidjan that animates the entire West Africa.

Trains on the line to Ouagadougou run from several stations in the city, the most important being in Treichville. Ferries link Treichville, Abobo-Doumé and Le Plateau. Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport serves the city. Work on a new metro system has begun, with the beginning of service anticipated in 2020.

SOTRA Abidjan Transport Company ensure urban transportation in Abidjan via bus, taxi and luggage Line Express.

Sotra has announced the start of work for the use of light rail to Abidjan. The project has three phases at a cost of 125 billion CFA francs for a long loop of 32 km.

There are two kinds: the taxi-meter orange, which can travel throughout the city, and woro-woro yellow and green, blue or orange depending on the commune, which are limited to a neighborhood.

Port Bouet Airport has a large capacity that allows it to accommodate all existing large aircraft. Abidjan is located an hour's flight from all the capitals of the sub-region. Abidjan is served by major airlines in the direction of the great capitals of the world. Headquarters of the former multinational African Air company, Abidjan has more than 900,000 passengers.

Abidjan has the biggest port in the sub-region (West Africa), which is also the second biggest in Africa; the biggest being in Lagos. It is a container transshipment port and was opened in 1951 in the presence of the Minister of Overseas and Colonies at the time, François Mitterrand. The 15m deep Vridi Canal, where boats with large draughts can dock in the deep-water port.

The Ivory Coast is in the Franc Zone,where the currency is CFA francs, as part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). Abidjan is the economic centre of both the Ivory Coast and of the whole region, including Burkina Faso and Mali; this is mainly because of its deep-water port.

The road network in Abidjan 5,600 km asphalted in 1995, compared to 1,000 km in 1970, which covers the whole region, effectively increases its port activity as 50% of the business from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger pass through it.

Abidjan receives the bulk of the country's industrial activity; its port alone receiving 60% of ivory park industry. Abidjan has ambitions of oil-production—off-shore production and especially refining and distribution. In 1995 the port received 12 million traffic, of which 5.5 million tonnes were petroleum products.

Exports include coffee, cocoa, timber, bananas, pineapples, and manganese.

The city is the foothold for the region's only railway: the Abidjan-Ouagadougou line, with stations in Treichville, Abobo and Adjame. This line only has two trains, the Gazelle and the Belier, and links the two capitals in about 40 hours.

The most recent project in Abidjan is one for an electric train which is promised by the Ivory Society of Railroads (SICF).

The development of infrastructural projects has been envisaged, including a suburban train system in Abidjan which is estimated to cost almost 100 billion CFA francs. This suburban train system would link the North-West to the East and North of the city. The project extends over 25 km of railway tracks which as of 2011 were used by the operator Sitarail, a subsidiary company of the Bollore group.

The infrastructural works tracks, electrification, and civil engineers have been estimated at 40 billion CFA francs, financed by the State of Ivory Coast and backers World Bank and the French Development Agency. In addition, a BOT concession contract would be given to a private operator, over 20–30 years, to operate the network.

This operator will be in charge of the acquisition of railway materials, workshop renovation and the implementation of an organisational system. The concession contract has been estimated at around 60 billion CFA francs.

Abidjan is a unique city in Africa. Its nicknames, such as "Manhattan of the tropics", "Small Manhattan" or "Pearl of the lagoons", explain the city's unpredictable and triumphant image. With its accommodation facilities such as the Golf Hotel and sporting facilities, its lively night life, transport and communication lines as well as its impressiveness, it is the perfect city for business tourism.

Abidjan also has beaches around the lagoon, with palm and coconut trees, in the Vridi area, which are very popular at weekends with the picturesque sight of the pineapple and coconut sellers. Nevertheless, the rip-tides which affects practically the whole of the Gulf of Guinea's coast, means that in this area swimming is not usually allowed. Generally, in Cote d'Ivoire, tourism has never really been developed as an economic industry; the country is not much of a common holiday destination.

Parc du Banco (Banco National Park) Converted in 1926, this park has 3,000 hectares and ancient "sacred wood" lies at the entrance to the city, in the Attécoubé community, which has been conserved as a relic of the first forest which surrounded the lagoon in the past. A tarmaced road goes straight to the lake at the heart of the park and trails go throughout it. The park is inhabited and there are coffee and cocoa plantations.

At the edge of the park, a small river serves as a wash-house where the fanicos, laundry men, work after collecting the laundry from the whole of the city. It is one of the 'small jobs' which exist in Abidjan.

Overall, the nightlife in Abidjan is considered to be one of the liveliest in the whole of Africa.

The district has an abundance of night-clubs, maquis, out-door areas, and go-go bars. These entertainment platforms provide a musical pipeline encompassing mainly DJs, Coupe Decale and Zouglou, and, in lesser amounts, other local and international varieties.

Formerly containing only local traditional varieties, Congolese music and Western music, Abidjan's night life has experienced a positive cultural disruption in its music since the start of the 2000s, with the arrival of Coupe Decale.

This musical genre was introduced in 2002 by Douk Saga and La Jet Set, with the help of Sagacite, created a phenomenon which has not stopped spreading and reaching out to the hot nights in the capitals of the sub-region. It has given a globally identifiable cultural identity to entertainment made in Cote d'Ivoire.

The very popular Zouglou additionally benefits Woyo spaces; furnished and dedicated so that the most famous, the Internat at Fitini's and the Lycee at Vieux Gazeur's, attract zouglouphiles the whole weekend.

Treichville, with its many maquis, discotheques, and jazz clubs, used to be the liveliest area in the city, but since the end of the 1990s Youpougon, Marcory, and Cocody have taken over this role.

The Treichville mosque, the Cocody mosque, the Plateau Mosque, and Saint-Paul's Cathedral in Abidjan, created by the architect Aldo Spirito and inaugurated by Pope John Paul II in 1985, make up the city's main religious buildings. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan. On April 5, 2015, the construction of a new LDS Temple in Abidjan was announced.

Monuments and museums

- The National Library of Ivory Coast

In Cocody:

- The Goethe Institute.

- The Municipal Museum.

- The American Culture Centre (CCA)

- The Ki Yi M'Bock Village in the Riviera.

- Cocody Museum of Contemporary Art.[83]

- Point d'Orgue, private music education centre

In Plateau:

- The French Cultural Centre (CCF)

- The Ivory Coast Museum of Civilisations

The National Museum: presents a collection of Ivory Coast art statues, masks, jewellery, tools, carved doors, tom-toms and musical instruments from every region in the country. It is free entry, but there is the possibility of a voluntary donation when you leave.

- In Treichville:

- The Sports Palace

- The Cultural Palace.[84]

- The Abidjan artisanal centre (CAVA)

Each year film festivals are organised in Abidjan: The Clap-Ivoire Festival,the Spanish Film Festival, the Ivory Coast National Film Festial (FESNACI) – the first of which was organised in 2007,the short film festival (FIMA), which has been organised since 1998 by Hanni Tchelley, the Abidjan Israeli Film Festival; the fourth one took place in 2006 in the Goethe Institute.

Several fashion events are organised in the city each year: "Les Féeries" (The Fairies),the ceremonies for Miss Cote d'Ivoire, Miss Abidjan District, Miss Christmas (for 6–11 year olds) and Miss Awoulaba which is very prestigious. Moreover, the Yehe Fashion Show takes place every year, a celebration of African fashion, and the International Festival of Lingerie and Beauty of Abidjan (FILBA).

Abidjan is also the headquarters for Ivory Coast's clothes designers, renowned for being the best in Africa; including Gilles Toure a designer for Miss Cote d'Ivoire or even Patheo.

- Climbie Beach Festival

- International Cartoon Festival.

- International Comedy Festival (FIRA) organised by Adama Dahico.

Ivory Coast national sport - basketball, athletics, rugby, handball, volleyball, etc., soccer is very popular in Abidjan. Abidjan is home to ASEC Mimosas, one of the country's leading football clubs.

- ASEC Mimosas in Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny

- Africa Sports in Stade Robert Champroux

- Stade d'Abidjanin Stade Municipal d'Abidjan

- Stella Club d'Adjamein Stade Robert Champroux

- Jeunesse Abidjanin Stade Robert Champroux

- Satellite FC Abidjanin Stade Imam Ali Timite

- EFYM

- Rio-Sports d'Anyama in Parc des sports de Rio

Each year a 7-a-side football tournament is organised: the Festival of Maracana d'Abidjan (FESTMA) which takes place in Yopougon.

Following the undeniable success of the Football Academy created by Jean-Marc Guillou (Academie Sol Beni), from which several old members have rejoined professional European clubs, several football training centres for young footballers have developed in recent years: the Cyril Domoraud Centre, Labo foot in Yopougon, the Centre ivoirien de formation de football d'Abidjan (CIFFA), l'Étoile Scientifique Football Abidjan (ESFA), etc.

In 1964, the Jeux d'Abidjan took place in Abidjan, as did the final of the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1975, 1980, 1983, and 1990, then another in 1992 under the name of CAF Confederations Cup. The Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny was the host of the very first African Super Cup in 1992, and the second in 1998. The finals of the 1966, 1986, 1995, and 1998 CAF Champions League also took place in Abidjan.

The main football event organised in Abidjan was the 1984 African Cup of Nations and one of the finals of the 1983 African Youth Cup of Nations.

The economic capital also attracted other football events such as the Assumption Tournament,the first one taking place in 2007 in the Stade Robert Champroux), the West African Club Championship (UFOA Cup), and international gala matches.

Abidjan is the centre of Ivorian rugby, and most of the Ivory Coast national rugby union team come from here. Although the origins of Ivorian rugby go back to the 1960s and earlier, French official Jean-François Turon managed the team at Abidjan University in the 1980s, but it was François Dali who created Ivorian rugby, and his son was the national captain during the 1990s.



Tourism Observer

KENYA: Uganda MPs Admire Kenyan Judiciary After Annulling Rigged Elections

David Maraga Kenya Chief Justice
Ugandan legislators have hailed the Kenyan judiciary for exhibiting what they described as independence in the nullification of the recent presidential elections.

The Supreme court of Kenya on 1st septemper 2017 in an unexpected judgement on the African continent nullified the election win of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta, ordering for fresh polls within two months.

In his ruling, Kenya Chief Justice David Maraga said the electoral body, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), neglected and refused to conduct the elections as the law requires.

MPs including Silas Aogon (Kumi Municipality), Gaffa Mbwatekamwa (Kasambya) and John Baptist Nambeshe (Manjiya) described the ruling as a landmark in the history of Africa where sitting presidents are not easy to challenge in courts.

The judiciary has exhibited independence and high sense of credibility that they are able to overturn an election of a president still in power which cannot happen in Uganda Nambeshe said.

The MPs said they were doubtful that opposition candidate Raila Odinga would win an election petition.

We doubted, we did not trust even the court in Kenya but now this has happened.

I now have hope because we never thought that someone can challenge a sitting president and win,Mbwatekamwa said.

Aogon said The judiciary in Kenya acted on the basis of independence. It means the three arms,judiciary, executive and parliament are acting independently.

I am now looking for peaceful and fair election so that Kenyans will accept the results the way they will be declared in the next election.

Odinga petitioned court on grounds that his opponent Kenyatta won the elections by fraud since the IBEC had not followed the law in adding up voting tallies and instead presented forged results to give victory to Kenyatta who was seeking re-election.

The Supreme court of Kenya nullified the election win of Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta and ordered for fresh elections within 60 days.

Kenya’s Chief Justice David Maraga said the electoral body, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed, neglected and refused to conduct the elections as required by law.

The unprecedented court victory on the African continent is surely sweet music to veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga’s ears who challenged President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election earlier last month.

Odinga, a former prime minister, charged that Kenyatta won the elections by fraud. Odinga said that the electoral commission did not follow the law in adding up voting tallies and presented fictitious results that had been changed to give victory to Kenyatta.

Odinga’s lawyers charged that the original voting results forms were replaced with forms lacking security features such as a bar codes, watermarks and stamps. Most international observers have said the election results are credible.

The opposition leader rejected the August 11 electoral commission declaration that Kenyatta won the presidential race with 54 percent of the vote.

The announcement sparked two days of protests by Odinga’s supporters. Police suppressed the protests violently using bullets and tear gas.

The election petition was filed 90 minutes before the deadline and included more than 25,000 pages in an affidavit.

The historic ruling by the Supreme Court of Kenya that overturned the August 8 re-election of president Uhuru Kenyatta may bring further scrutiny to the role of international observers in African elections.

Election observer reports have been criticised by opposition groups in many African countries, including Uganda on several occasions. The reports, most of the time, pass elections as free and fair regardless of what complaints may be raised about them.

Zimbabwe is an outstanding case where observers allied to the West have in the recent past declared the re-election of president Robert Mugabe as having fallen below the required standards. But the practice is usually to endorse the re-election of incumbents.

After the different observer missions accredited to Kenya seemed to give the August election a clean bill of health, even as Mr Raila Odinga protested about the transmission and tallying of results, saying the system was hacked, the observers came under fire from Mr Odinga's team.

Reacting to statements by observers that seemed to endorse the election, Mr Odinga said: "Shame on them".

Mr James Orengo, who would eventually form part of Mr Odinga's legal team, offered the most stinging criticism of the observers, saying in future, it may be necessary to first examine the relationships between the individual observers and incumbents in the elections they were meant to observe. He claimed that there exists a strong relationship between Mr Uhuru and former Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama.

What some observers said about the election

We commend the IEBC for ensuring that overall law and order prevailed throughout the electoral process observed.," - Prof Edward Rugumayo, head of the East African Community Election Observation Mission to Kenya

Kenya has made a remarkable statement to Africa and the world about its democracy and the character of that democracy." - John Kerry, former US Secretary of State and headed the Carter Centre observer mission

"The opening, voting, closing and counting process... were credible and transparent." - John Dramani Mahama, former president of Ghana who headed the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission to Kenya

"I can give an account of what happened at the polling station where I was and I'm quite sure that nobody would be able to lodge any complaint of what happened there." - Thabo Mbeki, former South Africa president

"I have seen no signs of centralised or localised manipulation of the voting process." - Marietje Schaake, head of the European Union election observer mission





Tourism Observer

Best Honeymoon Destinations For 2017- 2018

The islands of Santorini in the Cyclades and Corfu in the Ionian sea are among the 20 “Best Honeymoon Destinations for 2017-18” in the world, according to the digital news and information company U.S. News & World Report.

Tuscany ranked first and is followed by Tahiti and Bora Bora. The top 5 Best Honeymoon Destinations for 2017-18 include St. Lucia and the Fiji islands in the fourth and fifth place respectively.

Santorini ranked 14th for its brilliant sunsets, rich Greek food and romantic hotels. The island is almost tailor-made for those who have just said ‘I do’.

Honeymooners can lounge on red- and black-sand beaches before taking in historic sites or visiting the island’s wineries, the US News & World Report said.

The company urges newlyweds to visit the towns of Fira and Oia and catch a breathtaking view of the caldera; explore the impressively preserved Ancient Akrotiri and take a daytrip to Thirassia, and the volcanic islands of Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni.

Furthermore, it underlines that Santorini’s volcanic activity plays a role in many of island’s popular activities, from swimming to exploring ancient ruins once buried in ash.

Corfu ranked 18th on the list for its lush green landscape and sprawling, pebbly beaches.

Used as the backdrop for epic tales by both Homer and Shakespeare, the island of Corfu, or Kerkyra, continues to attract weary travelers looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the US News & World Report said.

Apart from the stunning beaches, the island is also home to interesting museums and sites, including the Old Corfu Town, the Old Fortress and the Church of Agios Spiridon.

Both islands are also included in the 12 Best Destination Weddings Spots in Europe, according to the US News & World Report. Santorini ranked sixth and Corfu eleventh, while Tuscany, Porto and Paris top the list.

Santorini is highlighted for its plethora of pristine ocean views, as couples can choose to get married high atop the caldera or along the island’s east coast.

Being a bigger island, Corfu offers more venue options, with most preferable sports being the Venetian-influenced Corfu Town and the island’s chapels overlooking the waters of the clear blue Ionian Sea.


Tourism Observer

INDIA: 2016 Emirates Crash, Indian Passengers Sue Boeing

Indian passengers have sued Boeing in a US court over the ill-fated Emirates B777 that crashed at Dubai Airport last year.

The suit, filed in Illinois’ Cook County Circuit Court, charges the manufacturer with a security switch in the aircraft’s electronics system that the passengers say did not not function at a critical moment during the attempted landing.

All 300 passengers aboard the plane survived, but over 24 passengers were reportedly injured in the crash on 3 August, 2016, the worst in Emirates’ history.

Earlier this month, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority had ruled out deficiencies in the aircraft or its engines as a cause for the crash, but said the investigation could take another two to three years to conclude.

Neither Boeing or the GCAA have provided further details about the investigation or the lawsuit.



Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Lufthansa Wants To Acquire Planes From Air Berlin

Lufthansa has expressed interest in acquiring a number of planes from German carrier Air Berlin after it filed insolvency recently upon the withdrawal of funding from its main shareholder Etihad, media reports said.

Initial talks between Lufthansa and Air Berlin took place on Wednesday, focused on parts of the Air Berlin group.

Thomas Cook’s German leisure airline Condor is also interested in acquisitions. Condor is in the process of preparing a concrete offer, a source said, adding Condor was interested in mainly short-haul routes, and also some long-haul ones.

Interested parties are looking into parts of Air Berlin’s business, including aircraft and crews. A likely deal could see 80 planes going to Lufthansa, 24 to Condor and 40 to easyJet.

Air Berlin continues to fly after the German government stepped in providing a bridge loan of 150 million euros.



Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Germania To Add More Flights To Greece In 2018

German carrier Germania has revised its flight program for summer 2018 and will operate more frequent flights from Dusseldorf to Greece.

The new destinations include the Greek islands of Crete, Karpathos, Kos, Lesvos, Rhodes and Zakynthos. Additionally, the number of connections to the island of Samos will be increased to two per week.

In 2018 Germania will also operate a new twice weekly service from Dresden to Athens. Moreover, in 2018 the airline will launch flights from Germany to Thessaloniki and Corfu.

Germania already operates seasonal direct flights from the German cities of Bremen and Nuremberg to Athens and also offers service to select Greek islands through a codeshare agreement with Greek airline Sky Express.

Top Kinissis Hellas is the General Sales Agent (GSA) of Germania in Greece.

New flights to Canary Islands and Portugal

Germania also announced that in 2018 it will fly to the Canary Islands of Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma and Tenerife. Also new to the airline’s schedule are the Portuguese destinations Faro on the Atlantic coast and Ponta Delgada at the Azores.

Also, in 2018 two flights a week twill continue to take off from Germany to Paphos in Cyprus.

Germania’s 2018 winter schedule also includes four flights a week for Tel Aviv.

In efforts to meet demand from the Turkish community in Germany, Germania offers an extensive choice of flights to Turkey.

The destination airports include Edremit, Alanya/Gazipasa, Hatay and Zonguldak. A new addition is Kütahya/Zafer, while the flights to Malatya are being increased.



Tourism Observer

NETHERLANDS: Netherlands’ Airports Switching 100% To Wind Energy

On January the 1st of 2017, Dutch National Railway company NS made a monumental step towards a world in which we no longer compromise the wellbeing of future generations for the sake of our own livelihood.

NS is switching to wind energy from newly erected wind farms for transporting all of its 600,000 daily passengers, which is leading to the company cutting carbon emissions equivalent to the electricity consumption of the entire population of Amsterdam — 1.2 billion kWh a year.

This bold move worked out great for the company’s public image, as it was featured in news outlets around the globe. NS found itself being widely lauded as exemplary for how companies can contribute to reducing a country’s carbon footprint.

Exactly one year later, on January the 1st of 2018, all major Dutch airports will significantly improve sustainability of their operations by completely shifting to wind power for the supply of their electricity.

All airports part of Royal Schiphol Group are participating, including not just the main port, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, but also Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Eindhoven Airport, and Lelystad Airport.

Together, these handle almost all civil aviation flights arriving or departing in the Netherlands, transporting 70 million passengers and almost 1.7 million tonnes of cargo in 2016.

The electricity will be supplied by energy company Eneco, which is also serving the Dutch Railways. In terms of energy units, this deal is much smaller — 200 million kWh a year — but that still equates to the electricity consumption of about 60,000 Dutch households.

Part of the deal between Royal Schiphol Group and Eneco is that all electricity should come from newly built wind farms on Dutch dominions. That means that at first the majority of renewable energy will still come from older sources, but that as new wind farms come online, the share of already existing capacity will steadily diminish.

By 2020, the airports will be operating purely on electricity coming from wind farms that haven’t come online yet at the time of writing.
The rationale behind this is that to have real impact, it is not enough to merely consume more renewable electricity. Rather, boosting renewable electricity generation is what matters.

This is because the supply of “green” electricity exceeds demand in numerous European countries, meaning that Dutch electricity companies can easily greenwash their own unsustainably generated electricity by buying certificates of origin pertaining to hydropower from Norway or Sweden.

By the stipulation that new wind farms should be erected, the supplier can’t make use of the certificates-of-origin greenwash scheme, making this a genuine move towards a more sustainable future.


Tourism Observer

GERMANY: Eurowings To Hire 600 Crew

Lufthansa Group LCC subsidiary Eurowings will hire 600 crew members, comprising 200 pilots and 400 cabin crew members, as its fleet expands to a further 20 Airbus A320s.

In addition, Eurowings management has confirmed that temporary working contracts for flight attendants will be changed to permanent contracts. Eurowings employs 1,500 flight attendants.

Lufthansa established Eurowings as a pan-European LCC platform in 2015 to operate low-cost flights from several bases outside Germany and safeguard Lufthansa Group’s leading position in point-to-point connections in its German, Austrian, Swiss and Belgian home markets.

It had been expected to grow quickly.



Tourism Observer

UNITED KINGDOM: Thomas Cook Airlines Pilots Strike To Commence 8th September

The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has authorised a strike in Thomas Cook Airlines following a ballot in which 91% of pilots voted to take action in a dispute over their 2017 pay negotiations.

The turnout in the ballot was 88%.

The dispute follows nearly eight months of negotiations over a pay rise that was due in April.

Thomas Cook has offered a 1.5% rise and BALPA has asked for at least inflation plus catching up with other comparable airlines and better travel facilities for pilots.

Two days of talks have taken place at ACAS but with no progress so far.

The strike action is planned to take place on 8th September and will affect Thomas Cook UK operations.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said: Disrupting people’s travel plans is the last thing pilots want to do and we very much regret taking this step. However, our members are frustrated that after many months of negotiations we still do not have a decent pay offer on the table and they have said loud and clear ‘enough is enough’.

“That is why BALPA has authorised a strike to take place on 8th September. In the meantime I will continue trying to negotiate with Thomas Cook to achieve an outcome that will be acceptable to pilots.”




Tourism Observer

KENYA: Isiolo International Airport Attracts Various Airlines

A passenger war looms on the Nairobi-Isiolo route after low-cost carrier Fly Sax introduced flights to take on its rival Fly 540, which also intends to launch flights on the route.

The two airlines already set up offices at Isiolo International Airport and are eyeing the tourism potential offered by attractions in Meru, Isiolo, Laikipia, Marsabit and Samburu counties.

Fly Sax will now operate three weekly flights from its base at the Wilson Airport following the opening of the 1.4-kilometre runway that sits at the Isiolo-Meru boundary.

Our key business will be passenger and a bit of parcel when we officially launch flights on September 1 from the Wilson Airport to Isiolo Airport, said Stanley Kirui, Fly Sax north eastern regional manager.

The airline will be operating the Dash 8 series 100 and series 300 with capacity of to carry 33 and 50 passengers respectively.

President Uhuru Kenyatta formally commissioned the Isiolo International Airport on July 23 following completion of works on the runway, the airport’s main facility.

The Sh2.5 billion upgraded airport signals major tourism boosts for northern Kenya belt which hosts the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the Samburu Lodge and Sarova hotels.

Commissioning of the airport, which is part of Vision 2030 key projects, had experienced delays occasioned by existence of a school inside its land whose relocation had to be organised.

The airport has a 5,000 square metre passenger terminal and could handle up to 125,000 travellers annually.

The facility, whose levies cash are to be shared between Meru and Isiolo counties, is set to open up northern Kenya for more trade including exporting of miraa, livestock products, French beans and flowers.

Meru and Laikipia residents are also eyeing the hub for transportation of beef and horticultural produce.



Tourism Observer

TURKEY: Istanbul’s Third Airport To Provide For Flights To More Than 350 Destinations

Turkey’s aviation sector, which grew by 14 percent over the past decade, is expected to grow even further once the Istanbul Third Airport becomes operational.

The airport, set to open Oct. 29, 2018, is expected to be the largest airport in the world when completed in 2023 and will serve as Turkey’s primary airport and a hub for connecting flights between Europe and Asia.

The airport will serve 90 million passengers annually once the first stage of the project is completed in the first half of 2018.

Last month, Transport, Maritime Affairs, and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan announced the number of employees working on construction of Istanbul New Airport reached 30,000, while 57 percent of the project was complete.

He added that they were aiming to reach 35,000 employees soon and estimated that direct and indirect employment would rise to 225,000 once the airport is completed.

The airport is expected to provide opportunities for flights to more than 350 destinations for nearly 100 airline companies.

According to the best-case scenario, as of 2025, 120 million passengers, including 35.5 million domestic and 84.9 million international fliers, will be served in and out of the airport.

While passenger traffic expectations for 2025 was 120 million, 69 percent of passengers were expected to travel internationally, while 31 percent were expected to travel on domestic routes.

Arslan previously said that Istanbul New Airport, currently under construction, will contribute greatly to the Turkish economy and to employment rates, noting that it will make very serious contributions to trade and is expected to generate 4.9 percent for the gross domestic product (GDP), with an additional $79 billion obtained just through the airport.

The minister added that Turkey’s aviation sector has made great advances due to the emphasis placed on aviation by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), asserting that the liberalization of the sector allowed it to expand and pointed to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım’s instructions to make airlines the way of the people.


Tourism Observer

Ryanair Will Be Very Happy To Bid For The Whole Of Air Berlin

Ryanair CEO Ryan O’Leary has made it clear that subject to being provided with more information, and one major condition, Ryanair would be very interested in making a bid for the whole of the insolvent Air Berlin.

He has indicated that obtaining additional data on the airline’s finances was critical.

According to Mr. O’Leary, Ryanair would be very happy to bid for the whole of Air Berlin, which is generally a short-haul, domestic, intra-EU carrier.

But we don’t know how much restructuring it will take, how much money is it losing, why is it losing so much money in a market where we make money.

When Air Berlin first filed for insolvency protection, Lufthansa, Germany’s largest carrier, was given the right to open negotiations with the ailing carrier, much to the annoyance of Mr. O’Leary, who described the situation as a stitch up to help strengthen Lufthansa’s commercial position.

Mr O’Leary is quoted as saying: What’s going to be left by the time Lufthansa completes the discussions?

While Lufthansa announced last week that it was in negotiations with Air Berlin, Mr O’Leary has made one other condition with regard to any offer Ryanair might make for the insolvent carrier, and that is that it has to be for the entirety of the business, not just for what was left after Lufthansa had finished cherry-picking the more valuable assets.



Tourism Observer