Air France-KLM’s long-haul network: a major Group asset

Air France-KLM’s powerful network, serving 254 destinations in 124 countries from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol, is a major strategic, competitive asset, according to Air France.

The company reinforced its position in 2011 in key growth markets, opening a number of long-haul routes to destinations that include Kigali, Freetown, Monrovia , Phnom Penh and Xiamen. Air France-KLM will continue its development in China in 2012 opening service to Wuhan, located at the crossroads of central China.

Air France-KLM’s powerful joint venture operated with Delta and Alitalia also paved the way for the opening of two new destinations: Orlando and Cancun.

In addition to these route openings, the Group strengthened its presence in strategic locations where demand is strong, providing service from both its Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol hubs to Miami, Punta Cana, Buenos Aires , Rio de Janeiro, Havana, Lima and Cape Town.

With over 30,000 long-haul/medium-haul connections, Air France-KLM also offers the best connections in Europe from its hubs at Paris-CDG and Amsterdam Schiphol.

Ethiopian Airlines to open new routes to Asia & N. America

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The Ethiopian Airlines is undertaking a study to open four new routes to Asian countries: South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and more destinations in China.

Ethiopian CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told The Reporter that the national flag carrier wants to strengthen its Asian market by opening new routes to the stated countries. Ethiopian has seven destinations in Asia. Ethiopian flies to three cities in China – Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou. It also flies to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Delhi. “We are undertaking market studies on Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and more destinations in China,” Tewolde said.

Ethiopian is also planning to open new routes to the US in addition to Washington DC. Ethiopian is preparing to launch a new flight to Toronto this year. The Canadian Civil Aviation Authority has already given the green light to Ethiopian. The airline hopes to launch the flight to Toronto, where is a large Ethiopian community. Ethiopian will deploy new jetliners – hopefully the Dreamliners – on the new routes.

Ethiopian, which was established in 1945, serves 62 international and 17 domestic destinations. The airline, which prides itself on being “The New Spirit of Africa” serves 40 destinations in Africa, the largest number of destinations served by a single airline.

Ethiopian currently flies only to Cairo in North Africa. A senior executive of the airline told The Reporter that currently the airline is eyeing the north African market – Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. However, the executive declined to mention the exact destinations (cities) that the airline wants to serve in North Africa.

Victoria Falls Registers Increase In Festive Tourist Arrivals

Zimbabwe’s major tourist destination, Victoria Falls registered a near 10% increase in tourist arrivals during the festive season compared to 2010, according to the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZNPWA). Caroline Washaya-Moyo, the ZNPWA public relations officer stated in a statement that a total of 7950 visitors during the peak period of the festive season between 21 and 27 December were registered in the resort town compared to 7069 visitors in 2010. The figure represented an 8.8% increase.

“During the same period in 2010, locals constituted 57%, international visitors 17% and regional 17%.

“Of the 2011 entries, 64% percent were locals while international visitors constituted 19% and regional visitors 26%,” Caroline Washaya-Moyo, the ZNPWA public relations officer said in a statement.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) recently said the increase in tourist arrivals is a clear sign of the recovery of the country’s tourism sector which had been hard hit by the political instability in the country over the last ten years and the deterioration of relations with western countries – the sector’s traditional source markets.

The ZTA has said the continued growth in arrivals can be attributed to the increased confidence in Zimbabwe as a tourist destination and the political stability.

Following the establishment of a coalition government, many governments lifted travel bans to Zimbabwe, which had been imposed for security reasons, for their citizens.

As a result, ZTA said, tourists began coming to Zimbabwe again, including from the most skeptic European markets.

''The effects of the all-inclusive government which was formed in February 2009 and the lifting of travel warnings against Zimbabwe by some of the country's major source markets such as Japan, USA and Germany contributed to the increase in tourist arrivals,'' the agency noted in a statement.

Special air fares on new services to South America with Emirates

Emirates has launched a daily non-stop flights to Rio de Janiero and onwards to Buenos Aires from 3 January 2012, offering special fares to customers from Malta flying to Buenos Aires in Argentina and to Rio de Janiero and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

The special airfares are inclusive of taxes and start from €846 to Rio de Janiero, €850 to Buenos Aires and €856 to Sao Paulo. The offer is valid for travel until 31 March 2012.  Terms and Conditions apply.

Brazil has been part of the Emirates network since 2007 when Emirates began flights from Dubai to Sao Paulo. The new service to Buenos Aires and Rio de Janiero will open new markets in tourism, trade and investment between South America and Emirates worldwide network of over 100 destinations.

The Dubai-Rio de Janeiro-Buenos Aires service will be operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering eight First Class Private Suites, 42 lie-flat seats in Business and 304 seats in Economy. Over 1,200 channels of entertainment on demand on "ice", the airline's award-winning in-flight entertainment system, are available to passengers.

EK 247 will leave Dubai daily at 0705hrs and arrive at Rio's Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport at 1535hrs. It will depart Rio at 1720hrs, arriving at Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza) at 1930hrs. From Buenos Aires, EK 248 departs at 2130hrs, arriving in Rio at 0120hrs the next day. The aircraft will depart Rio at 0255hours, arriving in Dubai at 2235hrs.

Qatar Airways to begin add-on flights to Kigali

A usually well-informed source within Uganda’s aviation regulatory system has confirmed that Qatar Airways, since early November coming daily to Entebbe, will commence onward flights between Entebbe and Kigali, come March 21, 2012.

The flights will, on arrival in Entebbe, disembark passengers destined for Uganda before continuing to Kigali, from where then the return journey to Doha via Entebbe will begin. It is understood that Qatar Airways will have full 5th freedom traffic rights between the two destinations, according to the same source, giving the airline a clear competitive advantage over other Gulf aviation rivals, none of which is yet flying to Kigali.

The aircraft used will continue to be an Airbus A320 in a two-class configuration of 12 in business class and 132 in economy class. The new add-on destination will benefit tourism and trade in Rwanda as "The Land of a Thousand Hills" will be linked to Qatar Airways’ global network, through which passengers can reach the capital Kigali with but two stops enroute, in Doha and in Entebbe.

Qatar Airways will, in early 2012, also commence flights from Doha to Mombasa and Zanzibar, and the addition of Kigali will round up a comprehensive presence with daily flights, and in the case of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, double daily flights between Qatar and East Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines Sells Fokker Aircraft

Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopia’s flag carrier, sold five Fokker 50 aircraft to Fortran Aviation Limited a Singaporean company.

The Fokker 50 aircraft were sold in the continued efforts to modernize the airlines said Tewolde Gebremariam Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines.

The Fokker 50s will be operated by a new airline, Pacific Royale, explained Tewolde. The first Fokker was to be delivered by the end of December according to Tewolde.

A Fokker 50 aircraft is valued at an estimated 7 million although Ethiopian Airlines has declined to disclose the details of the sale agreement.

With the sale of the Fokker 50s Ethiopian is considering the purchase or lease of more Bombardier Q400 aircraft. Eight Q 400 aircraft acquired by Ethiopian in 2010 are operation on regional routes previously serviced by Fokker 50s.

The deal for the Bombardier aircraft is still in the early stages of negotiations which may result in a purchase or long term lease according to Tewolde.

Bombardier declined to comment on its negotiations with Ethiopia on grounds that discussions with customers and prospective customers are confidential. The aircraft manufacturer will acknowledge an actual order with a press release describing all relevant details according to John R. Arnone, Manger, Media and Public Relations of Bombardier.

In related news Ethiopian Airlines has announced new nonstop flight between Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Muscat, Oman. Ethiopian will make the flight to Muscat six times a week according to a press release from the airline.

Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to commence flight services to Oman which has been nominated as the ‘Arab Tourism Capital 2012’ by the Arab League said Tewolde in a press release.

Air Zimbabwe suspends flights to London, Johannesburg

ZIMBABWE’S National Airline, Air Zimbabwe, has suspended all flights to London with immediate effect.

This was announced by the Air Zimbabwe chairman Jonathan Kadzura on Sunday.

The company is a parastal, 100 percent owned by the Zimbabwe government.

This news follows an incident at London’s Gatwick Airport where one of Air Zimbabwe’s planes was recently impounded by an American aviation firm to which the carrier owed $1.5 million.

The company’s chairman added that Air Zimbabwe was also halting flights to Johannesburg, South Africa, citing financial reasons.

Kadzura said the national airline no longer has the capacity to service the Harare-London and Harare-Johannesburg routes.

Air Zimbabwe planes in Johannesburg were also targeted by creditors who last month impounded one of them on South African soil.

Kadzura said flights to South Africa remain suspended as the airline is still negotiating with ground handling firm Bid Air Services to settle an overdue debt of $500,000.

The airline will maintain flights to China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

American General Supplies recently impounded an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767-200 and held it until the airline settled a $1.5 million account for spares and other equipment.

Kadzura said the Zimbabwe inclusive Government does not want to rescue the national airline.