Singapore Airlines says EU emissions scheme unfair

Singapore Airlines Ltd. thinks that the European system of charging global airlines for emissions isn't equitable, though the island nation's flag carrier will comply with the law, Chief Executive Goh Choon Phong said Monday.

"We will comply (with the Emissions Trading System, or ETS) but we don't think it is an equitable measure," Goh told reporters on the sidelines of an industry event in Singapore.

He said it was unfair to charge an airline flying long distance into Europe for the entire journey made by the airplane. Under the system, an airline that makes its passengers fly with a halt somewhere close to Europe will pay less than an airline that flies non-stop, even though the former would have used more fuel, he said.

"We are objecting to the principle of how it is applied," Goh said.

Separately, he said that the aviation market is expected to improve in the second half of 2012 while the airline isn't banking on fuel prices to come down anytime soon.

Qatar Airways opened a premium lounge at London Heathrow

Qatar Airways opened a premium lounge at London Heathrow at the end of Jan-2012, the carrier’s first premium lounge facility outside of its home hub at Doha. Qatar Airways CEO, Akbar Al Baker, said that London Heathrow was the “obvious choice” for the new premium lounge, as the London Heathrow service is one of the carrier’s best performing routes.

The new lounge reinforces London’s position as one of the airline’s most important destinations. Qatar Airways operates four daily services to London Heathrow, offering more than 11,000 seats per week with a mix of A330-200/300, A340-600 and Boeing 777-300ER equipment. The carrier also codeshares with bmi and United Airlines on the Doha-London Heathrow service.

Qatar Airways’ London Heathrow lounge follows, after some time, similar lounges from competitors Etihad Airways and Emirates. Etihad Airways opened a dedicated premium lounge at Heathrow in 2009 while Emirates has operated a dedicated first/business class passenger lounge since 2006.

London Heathrow is the most heavily trafficked destination in Europe for Middle Eastern airlines, beating out other hubs such as Frankfurt, Milan and Paris. It is a particularly strong destination for GCC airlines, with more than 140 weekly frequencies operated by Gulf region carriers alone.

Etihad Airlines Looking For New Streategic Partner in Asia

Etihad Airways remains on the lookout for new strategic airline partners, particularly in Asia, as it seeks to maintain the momentum of an expansion that lifted the carrier, based in Abu Dhabi, to its first annual profit ever last year.

“The Asian markets are going to be strategically very important over the next 10 to 15 years,” Etihad’s chief executive, James Hogan, said Thursday. “India and China — these are the markets that people are going to travel from.”

Etihad, which was founded five years ago by the Abu Dhabi government, has expanded aggressively in recent months in a bid to keep pace with its larger Gulf rival, Emirates.

Late last year, it snapped up a 29 percent stake in Air Berlin, the second-largest German airline, in a partnership that Etihad expects will give it access to 35 million new passengers and contribute up to $50 million in revenue in 2012. In January, it acquired a 40 percent stake in Air Seychelles, giving it access to the African island country’s leisure market, which has grown increasingly popular with Chinese travelers.

Mr. Hogan said Etihad was eager to identify “one or two” more strategic investments in other airlines over the coming years that could drive new passenger and cargo traffic to its ever-widening network of 82 destinations. “Those could be in Asia,” he said, though there are no advanced talks under way.

Etihad reported Thursday net profit of $14 million for 2011, slightly better than the break-even target it had set for the year. The airline, which is not publicly traded, did not provide a comparable figure for 2010. Revenue was $4.1 billion, up 36 percent from a year earlier.

Mr. Hogan said that he was encouraged by recent proposals by the Indian government to raise a 26 percent cap on foreign ownership of domestic airlines. Several of India’s financially strapped carriers have signaled their eagerness to tie up with a foreign airline, including Kingfisher, which is owned and run by the flamboyant liquor baron Vijay Mallya.

“Any market that liberalizes their aviation environment is good news,” Mr. Hogan said. But he cautioned that none of the proposed changes had been ratified. India was still burdened with high fuel taxes and other costly regulatory constraints, he said, that made investing there difficult despite the clear potential for growth.

“India will have 70 airports in 10 years,” he said. “But there are a lot of domestic issues with Indian aviation, and that is what has impacted the airlines” there.

Analysts noted that until now, China and India have largely sought to keep foreign airlines at arm’s length, wary of foreign encroachment on their lucrative markets. That reticence could make a tie-up with Etihad a tough sell, some said.

“The Chinese want their own carriers to do what the Gulf carriers have been doing, driving traffic through their own hubs, so that would be difficult to overcome,” said Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research in London.

In India, he said, nationalist sentiment still runs high. “If the goal of the government is to get some of these carriers into the black, then I would think that would come at the expense of foreign competitors,” he said. “I can’t really see them allowing the Emirates to steal a march on them.”

Etihad’s passenger traffic jumped 17 percent last year, to 8.3 million, compared with a global average of 5.9 percent growth. The airline said it was targeting a further 20 percent increase in traffic this year and a comparable increase in revenue.

Mr. Hogan said the airline would publish more detailed financial information in the future, but he said the rapid pace of Etihad’s expansion, including the purchase of dozens of aircraft, made loss figures for previous years “not meaningful.”

Etihad currently owns a fleet of 65 Airbus and Boeing jets, including seven new planes added last year. The carrier has placed firm orders for a further 100 new planes for delivery over the next decade.

Rwanda: South African Airways Resumes Flights to Kigali

The South African Airways (SAA) has added Rwanda to its 500 destinations across the world by Resuming flights to Kigali- Johannesburg route.

An Airbus A319 aircraft with a capacity of carrying 120 passengers; 25 in business class and 95 in economy class will operate three days a week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays from Johannesburg to Kigali, before departing for Bujumbura.

The return flights will operate from Bujumbura to Kigali and onwards to Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport.

"Who knows home than we do, we are very confident to operate in this market, even if there are other companies operating on the same route," said Aaron Munetsi, SAA's regional general manager for Africa and Middle East.

According to Munetsi, SAA sees great potential in the Rwandan Market as a fast growing economy to realise their business goals.

"Air traffic is growing and the African continent is resilient to different circles of global meltdown," Munetsi noted.

Viresh Vallabhbhai, acting charge d'affaires at the South African High Commission noted that SAA's operations will also strengthen bilateral ties and increase investments.

"This is the beginning of investments from South Africa, we are expecting more businesses, either by South Africans or other investors outside South Africa," says Vallabhbhai.

"It's a win-win situation. The role we are playing is not only the opening up the airline but connecting Rwanda to the great trade boom in all 500 connections."

The airline is represented mainly in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America and Australia.

Dr. Alexis Nzahabwanimana, the Minister of State in charge of Transport, welcomed the development, saying that SAA's knows the market and their resumption of flights to Rwanda is a clear indication that they have confidence in the local aviation market.

Last year, Rwanda's aviation industry attracted interest from international players, including Turkish Airways and Emirates Airlines while the national carrier stepped up efforts to increase its foothold in Africa. It is expected that Rwanda's air traffic will rise to 300 flights per week from 200 last year.

Thai Airways Plans to Lease 8 Boeing 787 Aircraft, Boeing Says

Thai Airways International Pcl, the country’s largest carrier, plans to lease eight Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliners from International Lease Finance Co., Boeing said in a statement distributed to media in Bangkok today.

The companies didn’t say when the planes will be delivered.

Boeing also said the production schedule for the 787-9, which will be bigger than the 787-8, is “progressing.” The company expects to begin major assembly of the model this year, with first delivery scheduled for early 2014, according to presentation slides distributed to reporters.

African Airline of the Year Award 2011/2012: Ethiopian Airlines Bags the Gold

Ethiopian Airlines wins the Gold Award in the African Airline of the Year 2011/2012 Award given by African Aviation News portal. Ethiopian Airlines emerged ahead of the pack garnering the highest number of the votes cast in by the readers and followers of African Aviation, who voted in an online poll, set up at the African Aviation's website as well as in various industry meetings and airline congress events attended by officials of African Aviation. More than 20,000 votes registered in total, with Kenya Airways getting the Silver Award and Precision Air Tanzania pegging down the Bronze Award.

In the past 65 years, Ethiopian Airlines became one of the continent’s most reputable airlines, unparalleled in Africa for its successful operations in industry service with maximum efficiency. It is at the leading edge of modern technology, maintaining the latest state-of-the-art fleets and providing excellent services to the pan African network and sixty two international destinations.

In addition, Ethiopian Airlines is conscientiously operating to make their Ethiopian Aviation Academy the best flying school in Africa. The Gold Award is a welcome addition to Ethiopian Airlines’ bevy of distinguished recognitions bestowed by different organizations in the industry, the latest of which is the ‘Airline of The Year for 2010 Award’ in the 43rd AFRAA Annual General Assembly.

Kenya Airways, Kenya’s largest airline and second-largest airline in sub-Saharan Africa, garnered the second highest number of votes earning the Silver Award. From its humble beginnings in 1977, Kenya airlines have proven its self-worth and steadily rose from the ranks to finally joining the global airlines service community as a full SkyTeam member. The airline has an impressive fleet of Boeing aircrafts and has serviced numerous transcontinental flights more than other African airlines.

In tangible conditions, within the next couple of decades, Kenya Airways aspires to progress towards a distinctly prominent airline in the African continent with dominant presence in Asia, the Americas and also the European countries, while maintaining a sophisticated fleet of aircraft. Kenya Airways promises to establish powerful relationships and continue to be a reputable associate of the international air travel network.

Not far behind in the tally of votes is the progressive Precision Air, Tanzania’s largest national airline, which got the Bronze Award. Precision Air is a pioneer in servicing scheduled, scenic and charter flight services from its three hubs in Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Bukoba. The company believes comfortable, quick, and reliable service is the best way to go through its customer-focused approach.

Precision Air was established in 1991, starting operations in 1994. From being a crop sprayer, operations expanded to service the demand in the tourist industry, thus scheduled services commenced in 1999. By 2006 Precision Air passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit coveting the first and Tanzanian airline to pass that audit. In the 2007/08 financial year, it has carried 465,349 passengers, which increased to 538,305 in 2008/09.

African Aviation believes that votes made by its readership, composed of aviation professionals and well-seasoned travellers, were based on the airline companies’ growth, overall service, reputation and reliability.  The primary direction concerning commercial aviation lies in the fact that it is a very highly competitive and extremely unpredictable enterprise, whereby progress in performance and enhanced service provisions play significant roles in getting the consumers’ vote of confidence.

The crucial element to success within the industry depends on whether or not an airline has the capacity to distinctly prepare for the particular behavior of emerging transformation, the primary factors generating these transformations, and most importantly the capability to position its strategies to address a dynamic industry and aero-political community.

African Aviation, through its dedicated readers and followers, recognizes top industry organizations which have manifested excellent customer service, skills, ingenuity, creativity and success in Africa’s flourishing tourism industry. African Aviation's Airline of the Year Award is not just a measure of the airliners’ worth but stands for the valuable recognition from their satisfied clientele in all sectors of air travel industry. Once again, in pursuit of sustainable recognition and continuous support for the industry, African Aviation has launched the search for the “African Airline of the Year 2012/2013”.

Singapore Airlines Begins Codesharing on Virgin Australia Domestic Flights

Singapore Airlines has commenced codesharing on Australian domestic flights operated by Virgin Australia, allowing a single booking to be made for flights feeding into or on from SQ's international services via Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

However, codesharing on international flights remains on the to-do list, with Singapore Airlines yet to nominate when this will begin.

Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines already share 'earn and burn' privileges for members of their respective  Velocity and KrisFlyer frequent flyer programs.

Virgin's point earning starts at a pleasingly full rate: SQ economy class gains you 1 Velocity point per mile, although allowances in premium cabins are less than you'd expect given the extra money you pay: only 1.25 Velocity points for business class, 1.5 for first class and 1.6 for the swish Singapore Airlines suites.

Also, while Virgin Australia's Velocity frequent flyers can earn points and status credits on SQ flights, KrisFlyer members can't earn Elite Miles – which count towards KrisFlyer Silver and Gold status – when travelling on Virgin Australia flights.

Another need-to-know in the Virgin/Singapore alliance are the rules regarding lounge access: only passengers travelling in Business Class or First Class on a Singapore Airlines-operated flight are allowed entry to SQ's swanky SilverKris Lounge at Singapore's Changi Airport.

If you're a Gold or Platinum member of Virgin Australia Velocity but  travelling in SQ economy your access is restricted to SQ’s KrisFlyer Gold Lounge (including the recently-renovated one in Changi T2 which doesn’t even have toilets, let alone showers).

At other airports worldwide, Velocity Gold and Platinum cardholders can get into any of SQ’s SilverKris Lounges around the world when flying with Singapore Airlines, regardless of ticket class – provided it’s a Singapore Airlines-owned and operated lounge.

Thai Airways to Start Direct Route Between Phuket and Stockholm

Thai Airways starts direct flights from Stockholm (Arlanda) to Phuket from the 1st of November 2012. The new route is good news to the many Swedes who each year travel to Phuket and those who use Phuket as a stop before the journey continues to the very popular Phi Phi Islands.

From the 1st of November 2012, aircraft from Thai Airways will begin departing every Thursday and Saturday. The time of departure is 20:45 from Arlanda Airport and the flight number of flightTG963. That basically means that there will be two aircraft from Thai Airways taking off from Arlanda every Thursday and Saturday.

Etihad Airways continues Africa expansion with new flights to Lagos, Nigeria

Etihad Airways today announced the launch of flights to Lagos, the airline’s first destination in West Africa, from July 1, subject to regulatory approvals.
The direct flights will link Abu Dhabi and Lagos six times a week and will be operated by a two class A330-200 aircraft with 22 Pearl Business class and 240 Coral Economy seats.

Lagos becomes the 83rd destination in Etihad Airways’ global network and the return flights will create a new link between Nigeria, Africa’s third largest economy, and the United Arab Emirates.

Following the launch of services to the Seychelles in November 2011, Tripoli last month and Nairobi in April, the addition of Nigeria marks another milestone in Etihad Airways’ African expansion plans.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “The launch of flights to Lagos is consistent with our strategy of targeting areas of strong growth in emerging markets.

“The United Arab Emirates is a major trade partner of Nigeria, which has a population of more than 150 million people, the largest in Africa and the seventh biggest in the world.

“The country is rich in natural resources, such as oil and natural gas. Our new point-to-point services will strengthen the oil and gas links between the UAE and Nigeria and facilitate further growth in these industries.

”The country is also enjoying strong economic growth driven by significant foreign investment, particularly from China, which means there is increasing demand for travel between Lagos and other emerging economies.

“The Lagos schedule will provide seamless connections over Abu Dhabi to key North and Southeast Asian destinations and markets in the India Subcontinent and Australia.”

Ethiopian Airlines to launch nonstop flight to Dammam, Saudi Arabia

Ethiopian Airlines is launching three-times-weekly service from Addis Ababa to Dammam, the capital of Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, starting on February 12.

According to a press release Ethiopian sent to ENA on Friday, Dammam will be its 8th destination in the Middle East and its 64th worldwide.

Ethiopian CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam said the new flight to Dammam provides opportunities for business people as well as tourists to explore its investment and leisure potentials.

Dammam is a large metropolitan and industrial area that lies on a peninsula stretching out into the Persian Gulf. It is a major seaport, exporting and importing a wide variety of goods and commodities. It is a center for the oil and gas industry and is the commercial center for eastern Saudi Arabia.

Dammam is also well known for its tourist attractions such as the Coastal Sports Center, Half Moon Beech, King Fahd Park and Alkhleej Makarim Village where tourists can engage in mountain climbing, hiking, skiing or surfing.

Mr Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines says, ‘The new flight services to Dammam provide opportunities for business people as well as tourists to explore Dammam’s investment and leisure potentials.’ Dammam will be Ethiopian’s 8th destination in the Middle East and its 64th worldwide. The new flight schedule will be as follows:

With this new flight, Dammam will be connected to dozens of cities in Africa via Ethiopian’s hub at Addis Ababa. Convenient connections will be available to and from cities such as Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe and Dakar.

Saudi Arabia is the oldest destination in the region for Ethiopian Airlines next to Yemen, and is the only country where the airline flies to three points in one country in that region. Ethiopian currently provides services to Jeddah and Riyadh.

As this route commences, Ethiopian announces a promotional fare from Addis Ababa to Dammam starting from USD 360 for a round trip ticket, which is valid for travel until 30 November 2012.

Kenya Airways route expansion lifts passengers by 15.4 pc

Kenyan’s national carrier, Kenya airways said on Thursday it registered a 15.4 per cent increase in passenger numbers for its third quarter with 956,742 passengers using the airline compared to the same period last year.

The airline said in a statement released in Nairobi that its capacity in the domestic front and to Europe registered the largest increases growing by 16.9 per cent and 14.7 per cent respectively.

"The European region registered the highest growth of 14.7 percent largely due to introduction of flights to Rome and double daily weekend flights to London," Kenya Airways said.

"The total passenger tally at 956,742, indicate a growth of 15.4 per cent over prior year.

"The achieved system wide average cabin factor of 72.0 percent was better than 69.8 per cent realised last year," Kenya Airways said.

The airline, one of the most successful airlines in Africa after South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines carried 502,435 passengers within Africa but excluding Kenya posting a growth of 14.1 per cent compared to last year’s 3.9 per cent growth.

"Passengers uplifted within Kenya at 205,654 showed a 26.0 percent growth.

"The resulting cabin factor of 74.6 per cent was above 70.3 percent realised last year.

"Cargo tonnage at 16,131 increased by 6.2 per cent compared to last year’s level indicating improved sales," it said.

Passenger traffic in the Middle East, Far East and India regions reached 131,126 showing an increase of 6.8 percent and also realized cabin factor of 75.4 percent which was marginally below prior year.

Kenya airways registered a stronger Q3 ending December 2011 putting in capacity totalling 3,560m seat kilometres as a result of increases in frequencies to several routes following the purchase of new jets as well as new destinations.

Northern Africa region capacity rose slightly by 1.9 per cent due to the introduction of double dailies to Juba in Southern Sudan on the Embraer aircraft to meet the rising demand for business travellers.

"Capacity availed into the East African region shrunk by 14.2 per cent compared to last year largely as a result of operating combined flights to Kigali and Bujumbura as opposed to direct flights evidenced last year," it said.

Central Africa region’s capacity declined by 15.5 per cent mainly due to reduced demand as a result of cancelling combined flights to Malabo via Douala and Kisangani via Entebbe.

The airline said the introduction of Nampula in December 2010 and increased frequencies to Maputo via Harare and to Lubumbashi via Ndola boosted Southern Africa capacity by 16.9 per cent while West Africa capacity grew by 4.0 per cent mainly from increased operations on Bamako Dakar and Yaounde.

Emirates SkyCargo will landed in Zimbabwe as Air Zimbabwe Woes

Air Zimbabwe which is bedeviled by insolence, and a dearth of planes has been struggling to meet the growing demand and the entrance into the market of, one of the fastest growing international airlines, has bolstered its operations on the booming Africa trade route.

Supporting the thriving trade between Africa and the rest of the world, its weekly cargo capacity into and out of the continent will be over 6,000 tonnes after the launch of flights to Lusaka and Harare on 1st February.

The addition of flights to Zambia and Zimbabwe comes less than three months after the launch of a dedicated weekly flights to Accra and Lome and means Emirates SkyCargo now has a total annual capacity of more than 300,000 tonnes.

“While many regions are experiencing challenging economic conditions, Africa – with a population in excess of one billion and rich in natural resources - is one of the few areas to record growth and the long-term outlook is very positive,” said Ram Menen, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President Cargo. “We expect demand to be strong for a variety of commodities going into and out of Lusaka and Harare and have no doubt the two destinations will be a strong addition to our African network.”

The Dubai-Lusaka-Harare service will be operated five times a week by an A330-200, providing a total weekly cargo capacity of up to 160 tonnes.

.

“We have slowly built up our presence on the continent since we launched flights to Cairo in 1986 and in recent years, as Africa started to realise its huge potential, we began flights to Cape Town, Durban, Luanda and Dakar,” added Menen.

“With such a comprehensive service now in place we are in a good position to help sustain Africa’s continued economic development by facilitating international trade with its business partners and opening it up to new markets on our ever-expanding network.”

Zambia has been enjoying an economic boom, driven by record copper prices and continued foreign investment in its mining industry and infrastructure, while Zimbabwe's economy is growing at a brisk pace despite continuing political uncertainty.

Emirates SkyCargo expects to be transporting parts to support the mining and infrastructure sectors – as well as of commodities such as garments, computer parts, and pharmaceuticals - from the likes of the Far East, Australasia, the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, Europe and North America. Fresh flowers, fruit and vegetables will be among the main commodities shipped in the other direction, while trade is also expected to be generated by neighbouring countries.

EK 713 will depart Dubai on every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0925hrs, arriving in Lusaka at 1450hrs. The service will depart Lusaka at 1620hrs, arriving in Harare at 1720. The return flight leaves Harare at 1920, arriving Lusaka at 2020. It departs Lusaka at 2150 and lands in Dubai at 0710hrs the next day.

An A330-200 – with a weekly capacity of up to 160 tonnes – will operate every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from Lusaka and Harare to Dubai, providing businesses in Zimbabwe and Zambia the opportunity to connect with trading partners on Emirates SkyCargo’s network of more than 100 destinations.

Emirates SkyCargo operates dedicated freighter services to a number of points throughout Africa, including: Accra, Dakar, Eldoret, Entebbe, Johannesburg, Lilongwe, Lome and Nairobi.

Emirates SkyCargo is the freight division of Emirates and will serve 22 destinations in Africa after Lusaka/Harare comes online. Reflecting Emirates’ overall policy of excellence in every area of operation, Emirates SkyCargo’s investment in highly-qualified staff, the very latest information technology, the most efficient aircraft and the finest ground handling facilities, has made it a significant force in the global air cargo industry.

Following the launch of the Lusaka/Harare service, Emirates SkyCargo will serve a global route network that spans 120 points in 72 countries, including 11 cargo-only destinations, while more than 50 of the locations Emirates SkyCargo serves are e-freight compliant.

Turkish Airlines introduces three new flights to Manchester and Istanbul

Turkish Airlines has announced it will be introducing three extra flights per week between Manchester and Istanbul. The airline said due to strong demand for its services, it was increasing its flights between the two cities starting from March 25, when it will increase to nine weekly flights and then 10 weekly services from May 28 for the rest of the summer schedule. The additional flights will operate on Monday, Friday and Sunday, using 737-800 aircraft. Andrew Harrison, Manchester Airports Group’s chief operating officer, said: “It’s great to see an airline making bigger commitments to the airport and the north west region, which proves the demand is there. “Increasing their services will give our passengers more choice to travel to not only Istanbul but to more than 100 onward destinations.”

British Airways to resume Tripoli flights

British Airways has announced it will resume its flights to Tripoli in May. The carrier is to reintroduce the Heathrow flights on 1 May after the UK government and Libyan authorities deemed the country safe again. The flights will operate three times a week.

“We are delighted to be returning to Libya. Our flights to Tripoli have provided a vital economic link for many years, and it is good news for everyone that we can now restart operations,” said Keith Williams, chief executive at BA.

Qatar Airways also announced it will reintroduce thrice weekly flights to the Libyan capital, via Alexandria, on 2 February.

Hundreds of US flights canceled due to snow

Hundreds of flights were canceled to and from Chicago's busy airports Friday, disrupting air travel across the country as an arctic storm dumped heavy snow in the region.

As of 3.30 pm (2130 GMT) a total of 700 flights had been canceled at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport -- the second busiest in the country after Atlanta -- and Midway International Airport.

Both airports reported "significant delays and cancelations," the Chicago Department of Aviation said.

O'Hare is a major hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, two major US carriers, while Midway is used by low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines.

The greater Chicago area, home to nearly 10 million people, was under a winter storm warning Friday until midnight as a storm moving from the central United States pounded the region with snow, sleet and freezing rain.

The city's full fleet of around 280 snowplows was on duty, but struggled to keep the main roads clear.

Snow fell so quickly that, fearing accidents, Chicago officials ordered city buses off Lake Shore Drive, the busy highway that runs alongside Lake Michigan.

"Our snowplows have been out salting and plowing our roadways since this morning, but there are areas along our system that have begun to collect snow," Kristi Lafleur, with the busy Illinois Tollway, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Police and firefighters reported helping scores of drivers whose cars had spun out of control in the ice, but no injuries or deaths.

In an urgent winter storm warning, the National Weather Service said snowfall totals of four to six inches [10 to 15 centimeters] can be expected in the Chicago area, "with locally higher amounts possible."

"Accumulating snow will cause significantly increased travel times, resulting in a particularly treacherous afternoon commute," the NWS said.

The especially low temperatures will make salt less effective and combine with heavy snowfall rates to make it harder for road crews to keep roads clear of snow and ice, it added, noting people should "only travel in an emergency."

Local Chicago forecasters however said there could be up to nine inches (23 centimeters) of snow by the time the storm had moved through.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported delays at O'Hare airport averaging 1.5 hours due to snow and ice, though the Chicago Department of Aviation said the hold-ups averaged 45 minutes.

"Airlines at O'Hare have also canceled more than 600 in and out bound flights for the day," the Department said.

Some 100 flights scheduled to and from Midway airport had also been canceled, the Department said in a recorded message.

The storm was expected to move past Chicago overnight towards the east coast, affecting New York and as far south as the Washington area.

Turkish Airlines begins a Freesale Codeshare Agreement with THAI

Turkish Airlines (TK) and Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) concluded a Free Sale Codeshare Agreement that allows both airlines to market selected flights using their own code and flight numbers on a free sale basis within the scope of the codeshare agreement.

According to Dr Temel Kotil, Turkish Airlines CEO, “Turkish Airlines is pleased to join with Thai Airways International on this code share collaboration, which will expand potential air traffic between Turkey and Thailand.  Code-sharing with Turkish Airlines expands THAI’s network to destinations in Turkey and Europe that THAI does not operate.

The code share cooperation on flights operated by the two carriers also supports business and tourism conducted between Turkey and the Asian and Australian regions.  This agreement successfully feeds traffic from Turkish Airlines into THAI’s route network, especially to and from Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Australia.  In addition, Istanbul becomes another gateway into Europe for THAI on Turkish Airlines’ route network.”

Piyasvasti Amranand, Thai Airways International (THAI) president said, “This code share agreement between THAI and Turkish Airlines is a significant step forward to expand our respective market presence extensively into Europe and into Asia.  By code sharing with Turkish Airlines, THAI can reach many other European cities through Istanbul, which is another gateway for THAI into Europe as well as destinations in Turkey.  Both our airlines can look forward to mutual strengthening of potential markets through Turkish Airlines’ extensive route net into Europe and through THAI’s strong network in Asia and Australia.”

Air France and Air Mauritius extend their partnership

This commercial partnership comes within the framework of the agreements signed between the two airlines in 2008,  which already enables Air Mauritius to use its code on Air France flights from the hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle in Metropolitan France and to several destinations in Europe,according to Air France.

This code-share agreement increases capacity to Reunion Island and Mauritius by creating new travel opportunities via  Mauritius and via Reunion Island.  Moreover, Air France enables its customers to earn miles between Reunion Island and Mauritius.

Air Mauritius operates up to 7 daily frequencies on departure from Mauritius to Reunion Island, Roland Garros and Pierrefonds Airport s.
Air Mauritius and Air France together operate up to 18 weekly flights to Mauritius at peak periods on departure from Paris-CDG Airport . Air Mauritius operates up to 9 weekly flights by Airbus A340-300 and Air France operates up to 9 weekly flights by Boeing 747-400.
Air France operates up to 12 weekly flights to Reunion Island by Boeing 777-300ER at peak periods on departure from Paris-Orly Airport .

Kenya Airways opens up for South Africa Travellers

Kenya Airways says passengers stranded in Malawi to travelling to South Africa can still use the airline but via Nairobi to OR Tambo Airport in Joburg.

The development comes at a time when the business sector and the general travelling public has complained of over-booked and unavailable air travel options to South Africa since the suspension of Air Malawi flights in November last year.

In reaction, the Economic Empowerment Action Group (EEAG) said much as the route provides an option for entrepreneurs, it could be viable if air ticket costs can be negotiated to manageable levels.

Responding to a questionnaire on Wednesday, Kenya Airways Country Manager for Malawi Ruth Maweu said the company has some solutions for those flying to South Africa.

"For stranded passengers, they can fly via Nairobi as we offer 10 weekly flights out of Lilongwe with perfect connections into Johannesburg.

"This includes three night flights that only have two hours connection time in Nairobi which is fantastic," said Maweu.

She, however, said Kenya Airways cannot fly direct to South Africa as it has not been given as an immediate point by the Bilateral Air Service Agreement between the governments of Kenya and Malawi.

"Therefore, it's not possible for Kenya Airways to fly directly to South Africa from Malawi, rather has to go through its hub Nairobi.

"However, we welcome any move by the government in allowing us to do so, Kenya Airways will gladly step in and serve the traveling public by offering a direct product," Maweu said.

But in an interview on Wednesday EEAG president Louis Chiwalo said the option by Kenya Airways can be relevant if entrepreneurs consider time and costs involved.

"Because of the pressure on the route, this would be acceptable only if it makes business sense that time and air ticket including baggage costs is negotiable.

"But still we feel Air Malawi's planes must be brought back into operation because their absence has shown that air business is there on this one route and the airline's shareholder must also seriously consider buying new aircraft to utilise this business potential which is also a forex earning avenue," Chiwalo said.

Air Malawi said it is expected to resume its flights to Johannesburg as its newly leased Boeing aircraft would be in the country this week.

Etihad Airways in training partnership with IATA

Etihad Airways announced a training partnership with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) during the Aeropolitical Affairs Forum in Abu Dhabi.

The partnership, a joint effort to develop the human capital of the Middle East aviation industry, is commencing with the implementation of the Airline Customer Service programme and will extend afterwards to other fields in aviation, cargo, travel and tourism.

It will also aim at upgrading the leadership competencies of various industry resources by introducing the IATA-Harvard Leadership & Management training programme in collaboration with Harvard Business School Publishing.

“The United Arab Emirates is expecting to handle 86.6 million international passengers by 2015, an 8.5% average annual growth. If that materialises, in 2015 it will handle nearly 30 million more passengers than in 2010. Skills and knowledge will be critical to support this extraordinary growth,“ said Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO.

IATA’s partnership with Etihad Airways in the training field falls within a shared vision of reaching out to the next generation of leaders in the aviation industry as well as the overall development of the human capital to fullfill the need for new talent and skills to meet the challenges and opportunities in a dynamic industry.

“We are delighted to be involved in this partnership as there is no more important resource for any organisation than its people,” said Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan. “This joint initiative should help provide access to opportunity as we build a talent pool across all facets of the aviation industry, and provide a career path for appropriately trained professionals.”

Airberlin and Etihad Airways combine frequent flyer programs

airberlin and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will integrate their frequent flyer programs from January 15, 2012, as they roll out their recent partnership.

airberlin topbonus and Etihad Guest frequent flyer program members will earn award and status miles on both airberlin and Etihad Airways flights.

topbonus Silver and Gold Card holders will enjoy additional status benefits such as use of Etihad Airways’ priority check-in and increased baggage allowances.

topbonus Gold Card holders will also be able to access exclusive Etihad Airways lounges in Abu Dhabi, Dublin, Frankfurt, London and Manchester. Etihad Guest Silver, Gold and Gold Elite members travelling with airberlin will also be able to enjoy exclusive benefits such as access to airberlin’s Exclusive Waiting Areas.

Paul Gregorowitsch, Chief Commercial Officer airberlin, said: “Extending our strategic partnership with Etihad Airways to include our topbonus frequent flyer program is a further key step towards making airberlin topbonus even more attractive. Status benefits such as using our new partner’s exclusive lounges and the option of earning topbonus miles on Etihad Airways’ flights are ways of adding real value.”

Etihad Airways Chief Commercial Officer Peter Baumgartner said: “This is another tangible step in the roll-out and integration of our extensive partnership with airberlin. Across our combined network of 239 destinations, this frequent flyer deal amounts to a fantastic proposition for airberlin’s topbonus frequent flyer members and our own Etihad Guest members.”

To celebrate airberlin’s partnership with Etihad Airways and the new non-stop flight from Berlin to Abu Dhabi, airberlin is giving double award miles to all topbonus members on flights marketed and operated by Etihad Airways.

Over the same period, airberlin is also giving away double award miles on tickets booked for their new connection from Berlin to Abu Dhabi.

For getting more information regarding cheap flights to any destinations in the world, please call our reservation experts on 02079936219 or visit our website http://www.flightsmaster.co.uk/.