Posted: April 2, 2014 | Author: sedgie47 | Filed under: Airline & Route News | Tags: Agrees, BM, BMI, BMI Regional, Codeshare, DLH, LH, Lufthansa |
BMI Regional is expending the reach of its network from Bristol through a codeshare with Lufthansa.
The airline is to place the German airline’s flight code on services from Bristol airport to Lufthansa’s mains hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
The arrangement comes into operation from next week – after a three-day pilots’ strike which has forced Lufthansa to cancel almost 4,000 flights from today (Wednesday).
BMI Regional chief executive Cathal O’Connell said the codeshare would enable business travellers from the southwest region to connect to 235 worldwide destinations via Frankfurt and more than 100 via Munich.
It would also enable passengers to avoid congested London airports when looking to fly to a range of long-haul destinations from Bristol.
BMI Regional runs 11 flights a week to Frankfurt and six a week to Munich from Bristol as well as services to Hamburg, Milan and Aberdeen.
The UK carrier, which operates a fleet of 18 mainly 50-seat Embraer jets, started flying its first codeshare this week in conjunction with Brussels Airlines between Newcastle and the Belgian capital.
The airline has been reshaping its network after being acquired by owner Sector Aviation Holdings from British Airways parent International Airlines Group following its takeover of the main BMI business in 2012.
O’Connell said the majority of sales came through travel agents and travel management companies which he described as a “valuable distribution channel”.
Sourced from Travel Weekly
Posted: November 25, 2013 | Author: sedgie47 | Filed under: Tour Operator News | Tags: Agrees, MT, Neilson, Risk Capital Partners, Ski & Activities, TCX, Thomas Cook |
By Phil Davies
Ski and activities operator Neilson was sold today by Thomas Cook to former Pizza Express owner Luke Johnson’s private equity firm Risk Capital Partners for £9.15 million.All other parts of Thomas Cook’s UK tour operations remain unaffected by today’s announcement, the group said.
Brighton-based Neilson was established 37 years ago as two separate companies and was brought together by Thomas Cook in 1999 to run ski, sailing and beach holidays.
The Neilson businesses contributed approximately £1 million to group EBIT in the year to September 30.
As a result of this transaction, the group will separately disclose a £13 million non-cash asset impairment write down within its income statement for the year ended September 30.
Risk acquired a stake in cruise website Cruise.co.uk in August as Johnson’s first investment in the travel sector.
The firm also owns companies such as Patisserie Valerie, artisan bakery The Bread Factory and DIY business The Depot.
Cook group chief executive Harriet Green said: “The transformation of our UK business – and that of the group overall – is happening at pace.
“We have previously undertaken a comprehensive review of our product portfolio and where we want our business to be.
“Today’s announcement is the result of our continuing rationalisation of our business. Building on our other recently announced disposals, it will allow us to focus on those key brands, propositions and products that will deliver our strategy for profitable growth.”
Sourced from Travel Weekly
Posted: January 7, 2013 | Author: walesairforum | Filed under: Airline & Route News | Tags: Agrees, Cut Aircraft, Cut Staff, Financial Losses, LO, LOT, LOT Polish Airlines, Stem |
By Alex McWhirter
Poland’s LOT is to cut its fleet of aircraft and reduce staff as it battles to stem financial losses.
The carrier has announced that it will cut employee numbers by 30 per cent and downsize its fleet from 40 to 25 aircraft.
The Polish government (which owns 93 per cent of LOT) granted the carrier an emergency loan of US$127 million before Christmas in order to keep the airline operating.
But, according to The Wall Street Journal, if the EU rules that the loan is a form of illegal state aid which “distorts competition” then LOT would be forced to hand back the money and file for bankruptcy.
LOT has made a loss every year since 2010. It was thought the carrier had turned the corner this year. But passenger numbers fell by 20 per cent in the past quarter so LOT will end 2012 with losses of $63.7 million.
The airline agreed on Friday that it would slim its fleet and to concentrate only on flying its’ most economical planes on its most lucrative routes.
It means that LOT’s older and less fuel-efficient planes will be retired from service and secondary destinations will be axed.
It should not affect services between Poland, the UK and North America because of the strong cultural and trade links which exist between these countries.
These developments come at the time when LOT was basking in the glow of positive publicity. It has begun taking delivery of eight B787 Dreamliners with the first planes set to inaugurate transatlantic service from Warsaw to Chicago in mid January.
The new B787s with fresher interiors and fully lie-flat beds in business class (LOT does not offer a first class cabin) will enable LOT to ‘up its game’ on the transatlantic routes which, until now, have been flown by its elderly B767s.
Airlines of the former Eastern Europe have not adapted well to the modern aviation age. Malev of Hungary ceased operations last year (leaving that country with no national airline at all), Czech Airlines of the Czech Republic is facing financial hardship while Slovakia’s Skyeurope failed ages ago.
They face competition from carriers like Air France, British Airways, KLM and Lufthansa on long routes while, closer to home, the budget airlines have captured most of their traffic.
Sourced by BBT
Posted: December 13, 2011 | Author: sedgie47 | Filed under: Airline & Route News, Cardiff Airport & RAF St Athan, European & World Tourism, European Aviation News, Passenger Advice, Tour Operator News, UK Aviation News, Welsh Aviation News, World Aviation News | Tags: Agrees, Cancelled, Deal, Strike, TCX, Thomas Cook, Tour Operator, UK, Unite Union |
Dec 13, 2011 17:27PM GMT
A threat of strike action by cabin crew at Thomas Cook Airlines over redundancy terms has been lifted.
The Unite union said an “accommodation” had been reached with Thomas Cook to end the prospect of an industrial dispute.
The row centred on terms for 500 jobs which have been put at risk if redundancy as Cook moves to trim the size of its airline fleet as part of cost saving measures.
Redundancy payments will now include a 2.5% pay rise backdated to April. The deal emerged on the eve of Cook announced its financial results tomorrow (Wednesday).
Sourced from Travel Weekly
Wales Air Forum 