Airlines
SATA expands services to Spain
Portugal's SATA Internacional Airlines is expanding its services to Spain in conjunction with a codeshare agreement with TAP. All flights are available for consultation via major GDS systems, and are marked with the S4 airline code. In addition to cities currently offered such as Madrid, Barcelona and Málaga -- now Valencia, Bilbao and Seville can also be routed via SATA's Toronto-Lisbon service for onward connections. Some destinations can also be routed via the YYZ-Porto service. Las Palmas in the Canary Islands is also available via Ponta Delgada-Azores. The Canary Island flights are...
SriLankan Airlines to join oneworld
SriLankan Airlines is getting set to join the oneworld alliance. The airline's election as a oneworld member designate was announced as the chief executives of the alliance's member airlines gathered at IATA's 2012 World Air Transport Summit, which opened in Beijing today. SriLankan is expected to be implemented into oneworld late next year, with Cathay Pacific serving as its sponsor and supporting the airline through its alliance implementation program. SriLankan already codeshares with oneworld member designate Malaysia Airlines -- and today announced agreement in principle to codeshare...
Porter expands Thunder Bay service
Porter Airlines is adding a third Saturday roundtrip flight between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Thunder Bay, beginning June 30. The new weekend flight is in addition to four existing Sunday roundtrips and five options every weekday....
Maximize aviation’s economic benefits
In his state of the industry address at the 68th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit in Beijing, IATA director general and CEO, Tony Tyler called on governments around the world to be stronger partners in maximizing aviation's economic and social benefits. Tyler told his AGM audience: "Our industry's license to grow is earned through working with governments to constantly make flying even safer, more secure, and more sustainable. Now we need an agenda to achieve tax regimes that do not kill growth, regulation that facilitates growth, and infrastructure that can efficiently accommodate...
IATA picks Joyce as new chair
IATA has named Alan Joyce as its new chairman. Joyce, who is the CEO and managing director of Qantas, succeeds KLM president and CEO Peter Hartman, whose one-year term expired at the conclusion of the Association's 68th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit in Beijing. Joyce's appointment is effective immediately and is for one year, ending with the conclusion of IATA's 69th AGM, to be held in Cape Town, South Africa. "IATA plays a critical role in the industry and I am honoured to take on the role of leading its Board of Governors. The top priorities, as always, will be...
A revised outlook for 2012
IATA has released its revised industry outlook for 2012, indicating that global industry profits are expected to be $3.0 billion, unchanged from the last update in March. The airline industry association notes that a fall in oil prices, stronger than expected growth in passenger traffic and a bottoming out of the freight market are driving some improvements in the profitability outlook. However, IATA also said that this is offset by the continued and deepening European sovereign debt crisis, which has led markets to expect a further deterioration and damage to economic growth, the adverse...
Rewards from Etihad, airberlin
Etihad Airways and airberlin have integrated their Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) loyalty programs -- Business Connect and business points. From today (June 11), SMEs which participate in either airline's business travel loyalty program will be rewarded for flying on codeshare flights operated by Etihad Airways, airberlin and NIKI. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways' chief commercial officer said: "We are delighted to be able to introduce the smartest and most rewarding loyalty scheme to the market, targeted at SME businesses who are looking for ways to optimize their business travel...
AC adds St. John’s lift
Air Canada has further enhanced its services in Newfoundland and Labrador by offering customers travelling to and from St. John's a 5% increase in available seats over last summer. Marcel Forget, vice-president, network planning for the carrier, said: "This summer, in response to the expanding economy and working closely with the local community, we are pleased to increase our departing capacity from St John's by 5% above last year's level. 2012 is Air Canada's 75th anniversary and we take pride in having served the St. John's and Newfoundland and Labrador community for 70 of these years and...