AirAsia to Boost Bangkok-Hong Kong Services from April

International holiday makers who are often to be seen in a lookout for tickets on cheap flights to travel between the popular Far East destinations of Bangkok and Hong Kong are certainly a happy lot as AirAsia is all set up to offer tickets on more daily flights connecting the two popular destinations.

Malaysia’s popular low-cost airline, AirAsia will offer tickets on three daily flights between Thailand’s colourful capital Bangkok and vibrant city of Hong Kong with effect from April 30, 2013.

Industry insiders believe that the airline has announced to offer tickets on three daily flights in order to tap the ever increasing travel demand on the popular route. The development is sure to catch the attention of increasingly higher number of budget travellers who are often to be seen searching affordable flights tickets options between Bangkok and Hong Kong.

With effect from April 30, 2013, the new daily service to be operated as FD 2504 will depart from Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport at 15:40 and will arrive in Hong Kong at 19:25. The return service to fly as FD 2505 will depart Hong Kong at 19:55 and will arrive in Bangkok Don Muang Airport at 21:45.

Besides, the airline has also launched special promotional fares to delight its passengers travelling on the route. Under this scheme, the promotional flights tickets can be booked from 26 February to 3 March 2013 for travel between 30 April 2013 and 9 February 2014 between the two popular destinations of the Far East.

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Jet Airways Announces Second Delhi-Dubai Flight

Jet Airways, one of the largest private airlines in India, is set to offer more options as far as travel tickets on the popular Delhi-Dubai are concerned. The airline has announced its decision to start a second flight to Delhi the financial hub of UAE from India’s capital city. The airline would be commencing this new day flights service from January 18.

The day time flights would be complementing the carrier’s already operational night flights between the two destinations. The operator hopes the launch of more flights will boost the presence of the carrier in the Indo-Gulf sector.

Jet Airways will be using the Boeing 737-800 aircraft for operating these newly announced flights service. Tickets seekers interested in netting travel tickets will be able to do for 16 business (Premiere) and 138 economy seats.

Apart from offering a convenient day time flight to flyers looking to travel between India and the UAE, the carrier believes the second service will be providing easy connections to those looking for tickets for travelling to and from northern India, as well as from SAARC or ASEAN nation through the Jet’s major hub, Delhi.

The commencement of these flights from Jan 18 would mean that the airline will be introducing two new flights between India and Dubai in the month of January. Apart from the Delhi one, the carrier is also initiating a new operation from Mangalore, Karnataka which will be a six days a week flight service, offering inundating tickets options to flyers.

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RAK Airways All Set to Increase Its Calicut Flights

The national airline of Ras Al Khaimah, RAK Airways has announced its decision to enhance its flights frequency on the route connecting UAE and India. The airline will now offer tickets on a daily service between UAE and South India’s city of Calicut from December 15, 2012.

The news of the carrier strengthening its frequency on the route has certainly delighted Britons as they now have even more flexibility to grab cheap deals on tickets for travelling to South India’s popular destination via UAE.

Calicut has long been one of the key markets for RAK Airways. And the airline has increased its frequency in its endeavour to tap the increasing travel demand on the route by tourists as well as the significant number of Indian expatriates from the South India’s state of Kerala, working in the UAE and in GCC who are often found looking for tickets to travel on the route.

In addition to its increasing its flights services to India, the carrier will also offer tickets to five new international routes and new domestic flights to the capital Abu Dhabi. The airline's presently offers flights to 10 cities including Abu Dhabi, Peshawar, Lahore, Chittagong, Dhaka, Cairo, Kathmandu, Calicut, Doha and Jeddah.

The carrier is offering tickets to London Heathrow, Manchester, Dublin, Geneva and Bangkok in code-sharing with Etihad Airways.

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Air India Indicates Cheaper Fares on International Flights

Air India has decided to cut airfares on flight to some significant destinations like Europe and North America. The new fares are likely to be effective from September 2012 and will definitely woo Britons and other foreign travellers flying on the routes.

Britons as well as other international travellers flying with Air India can now expect to save on flights operating on international routes.

The Indian flag carrier is all set to resume flights on its international routes, and the online sources indicate that overseas flights to some destinations are likely to get cheaper from September 2012.

Taking advantage of the industrial strike that rocked Air India, rival airlines raised the airfares on flights to some popular destinations like London, Paris, Munich and Toronto by as much as 25 per cent. However, with Air India’s aggressive pricing strategy upon resumption of its flights to these destinations, the affect can perhaps be reversed. This will come as a big respite to travellers contemplating tickets on cheap flights to and from these destinations connecting to India.

Air India may trim down its fares to destinations in Europe and North America immediately and is likely to offer cheap flight ticket deals and special offers through the network of travel agents to lure travellers whom the airline had lost to its competitors. The news will definitely bring pleasing rewards for budget conscious Britons planning to book cheap flights on these routes.

An official of Air India was quoted as saying, “Reducing fares is the only option with us to get back in the market that has almost been closed for over two months. The new fares would be announced as and when the flights would be added.”

Though the decision of Air India to offer cheap flight tickets is looked upon as unproductive by some, the airline’s officials believe that these routes would bring great profits for the carrier once it will launch its highly fuel-efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Air Canada Flight Attendants Issue Strike Notice

Air Canada’s flight attendants have rejected the tentative deal that was reached between them and the airline. They have issued a strike notice and are poised to go on a strike at 12:01 a.m. Thursday if no new labour pact is reached till then.

Air Canada’s component of Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 6,800 Air Canada flight attendants, issued the strike notice on Sunday evening. The decision to issue a strike notice was taken after 65% of the union members voted against the new labour agreement of last month.

The airline’s tentative agreement with flight attendants featured wage raise of 2% in the first three years, and 3% in the third. It also included steps to move new hires into a hybrid pension scheme. Some other modifications were proposed in the agreement. But it seems that all these gains were not good enough for the flight attendants who said that these improvements fell short of what they expect after years of concessions at the airline.

“We are perplexed and disappointed that two tentative agreements negotiated in good faith with and unanimously recommended by the democratically elected representatives of our flight attendants have failed to be ratified,” Duncan Dee, Air Canada Chief Operating Officer, was quoted by different news websites. “Air Canada remains hopeful that a disruption can be avoided,” he added.

Air Canada is one of the busiest airlines in the world. Millions of travellers meticulously plan their travel and book months in advance, cheap tickets on flights of this popular airline every year. Now it remains to be seen whether travellers who ‘struggled’ to get cheap flight tickets with Canada’s flag carrier will be subjected to anguish by the looming strike.

Air Canada says it will offer to rebook flights for ticket holders who are travelling in the coming days. The airline will implement a partial travel schedule in the event of a strike.

Troubled Times for Air Canada

As far as its labour relations are concerned, Air Canada seems to be going through a very bad patch. In June, a three-day strike was conducted by carrier’s sales and service agents. Last week the security screeners at Toronto's Pearson International Airport conducted work-to-rule protest that resulted in several flights getting delayed and affected the holiday weekend for many.

It is no doubt that a flight attendant strike is likely to create much more trouble for the airline. Federal regulations make it obligatory for every flight to feature a certain number of flight attendants.

Moreover, the airline’s pilots and its dispatchers too rejected a tentative agreement with the airline and new negotiations will now take place. The carrier’s machinists and ground crew union is also to negotiate a new labour pact this year.

Emirates Provides Dubai-Dublin Link

The Emirates Airline announced on Wednesday that it will begin new daily flights between Dublin and Dubai from January next year. This will be the first passenger service of the carrier to Ireland that is beings viewed to strengthen the connections between the two regions. Further, this service is set to benefit travellers in India, Africa, South East Asia, Australia and China. Emirates SkyCargo is already operating in Ireland, transporting goods through Manchester. The passenger flight operational from January will have 14 tonnes of bellyhold capacity and thus adding vastly to the cargo market.

Emirates, one of the biggest carriers in the world, stated that it will commence the Dubai-Dublin service from the 9th of January 2012. The schedule has also been announced. The first flight is scheduled to leave Dubai at 0700hrs and land in the Irish capital at 1130hrs. On the return flight, the aircraft will depart Dublin at 1255hrs to arrive in Dubai at 0025hrs the next day. Emirates Airline is to deploy an Airbus A330-200 on the route. The long-haul service will offer First, Business and Economy travel classes to serve from the extravagant travellers to those who prefer cheap flight tickets.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group was quoted in the company’s press release as saying, “Dublin will be our 29th route in Europe and Emirates' customers in Ireland who currently travel through some of our UK gateways will be able to fly non-stop to our industry leading hub in Dubai and conveniently connect onwards to our broadening route network.” He also added, “We see strong potential in Ireland through its industry, technology, tourism and the huge number of Irish nationals living overseas.”

With this new route, Emirates hopes to serve the huge Irish population that is scattered all over Australia, the UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, India, South Africa, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

The Republic of Ireland is also considered one of the most popular holiday destinations in the region. Millions of tourists visit Ireland ever year, and this is one another segment that the airline hopes to cater to. Keen vacationers would do well to book their air tickets as early as possible because Emirates is not exactly known for doling out cheap tickets on flights.

Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) Chief Executive Declan Collier expressed his delight at the proceedings. “We are delighted to welcome Emirates Airline to Dublin,” he was quoted in the press release that was posted on Emirates’ website.

“The significant improvements we have made to our facilities in recent years, including the opening of a new passenger terminal, was a major factor in helping to win this new business and we look forward to a successful partnership with our newest customer,” Mr Collier further added.

World's Top 10 Safest Airlines According to the ATRA

Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA) has come with a report that lists the world’s most safe airlines. This report was released by the agency yesterday and already it has created quite a flutter in the industry and raised a few eyebrows.

According to the report, no airline from Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East is ‘safe enough’ to be listed in the top 10. On the other hand, as many as six American airlines -American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways - have made it to the list.

Air France-KLM, British Airways and Lufthansa are the three Europe-based airlines that are included in the top 10 safest airlines list. Whereas, Japan Airlines is the only Asian carrier that will appeal to the anxious traveller looking for cheap flight tickets!

It is interesting to note that the list of safest airlines has no crossover with operators providing top notch customer service. It seems that passengers who buy air tickets can either have good customer service or excellent flight safety!

Geneva-based ATRA is a rating agency that deals with aviation risk evaluation and advanced data analyses in the air travel sector. The agency has conducted this first of its kind study and it is reported that the agency has examined publicly available information on 15 criteria before coming up with these rankings. Few criteria that were considered by the ATRA are the figure of travellers and cabin crew employees, the average age of the carrier’s aircrafts and number accidents taken place in last decade. Air Transport Rating Agency also took in the consideration the availability of dedicated flight academy pilot-training facilities and dedicated full flight simulators.

ATRA explained that just depending on the accident figures to come up with a quotient of airline safety is not entirely right. One is needed to look into the “technical, human, organisational and external” elements before making the call.

ATRA hailed European Union’s ‘blacklist’ as the step in the right direction as far as airline safety rating is concerned, but the agency believes that EU’s list led to a belief that airlines which do not feature on the 'blacklist' are all on the same level as far as safety in concerned.

“Even though the European Union publishes a 'blacklist' of dangerous airlines, there exists a real difference in safety between the other airline companies,” ATRA was quoted by various news portals.

No Skytrax Awarded Airline in ATRA’s List

None of the airlines that are renowned all over the world for their superior customer care or in-flight services have found a place in the ATRA’s newly released list. Cheap flights on 5-star airlines like Qatar Airways and Asiana remain much in demand but it seems when it comes to safety these airlines do not actually grab the top honours.

World's Top 10 Safest Airlines According to the ATRA

Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA) has come with a report that lists the world’s most safe airlines. This report was released by the agency yesterday and already it has created quite a flutter in the industry and raised a few eyebrows.

According to the report, no airline from Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East is ‘safe enough’ to be listed in the top 10. On the other hand, as many as six American airlines -American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways - have made it to the list.

Air France-KLM, British Airways and Lufthansa are the three Europe-based airlines that are included in the top 10 safest airlines list. Whereas, Japan Airlines is the only Asian carrier that will appeal to the anxious traveller looking for cheap flight tickets!

It is interesting to note that the list of safest airlines has no crossover with operators providing top notch customer service. It seems that passengers who buy air tickets can either have good customer service or excellent flight safety!

Geneva-based ATRA is a rating agency that deals with aviation risk evaluation and advanced data analyses in the air travel sector. The agency has conducted this first of its kind study and it is reported that the agency has examined publicly available information on 15 criteria before coming up with these rankings. Few criteria that were considered by the ATRA are the figure of travellers and cabin crew employees, the average age of the carrier’s aircrafts and number accidents taken place in last decade. Air Transport Rating Agency also took in the consideration the availability of dedicated flight academy pilot-training facilities and dedicated full flight simulators.

ATRA explained that just depending on the accident figures to come up with a quotient of airline safety is not entirely right. One is needed to look into the “technical, human, organisational and external” elements before making the call.

ATRA hailed European Union’s ‘blacklist’ as the step in the right direction as far as airline safety rating is concerned, but the agency believes that EU’s list led to a belief that airlines which do not feature on the 'blacklist' are all on the same level as far as safety in concerned.

“Even though the European Union publishes a 'blacklist' of dangerous airlines, there exists a real difference in safety between the other airline companies,” ATRA was quoted by various news portals.

No Skytrax Awarded Airline in ATRA’s List

None of the airlines that are renowned all over the world for their superior customer care or in-flight services have found a place in the ATRA’s newly released list. Cheap flights on 5-star airlines like Qatar Airways and Asiana remain much in demand but it seems when it comes to safety these airlines do not actually grab the top honours.

ATRA Releases Top 10 Safest Airlines List

If you’re an anxious traveller who gets all jittery when faced with the prospect of air travel, there is some good news and some bad news for you.

First the good news - Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA), a Geneva-based rating agency that deals with aviation risk evaluation and advanced data analyses in the aviation sector, has come with a list that features top10 safest carriers. So, now whenever you are required to book cheap flight tickets you can opt for the airlines that are the ‘safest’ as per the list (check the list below).

Moving on to the seemingly bad news - this list released by the ATRA does not feature a single airline that has been awarded by Skytrax this year. So, basically it means that most probably you will not be flying with the carrier of your liking if you prefer to book cheap flights tickets keeping in mind ATRA’s top 10 safest airlines list. It seems flight quality and flight safety do not go together!

Another striking feature of this one of its kind list is there is no airline from Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East in the list. No Qatar Airways, No Qantas, No Virgin Australia, No Jetstar and No Air New Zealand! On the other hand, six US based airlines have made it to the list along with three European and one Asian airline.

World's 10 Safest Airlines (In Alphabetical Order)
Air France-KLM
AMR Corporation (American Airlines)
British Airways
Continental Airlines
Delta Airlines
Japan Airlines
Lufthansa
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways

New Rules Shielding Airline Passengers Take Effect

Air travellers are set for good time as the U.S. Department of Transportation is all ready to implement new pro-consumer passenger rules from today. New travellers’ rights aim to ensure that customers are protected from unfair and deceptive practices adopted sometimes by the airlines

From today, i.e. 23rd August 2011, airlines will be required to refund baggage fees for lost luggage and will be obligated to fork out much more for bumping involuntary passengers on overbooked flights. U.S. Department of Transportation can also impose large fines on international flights that hang around at the airport tarmac for more than four hours. Additionally, from today onwards the airlines will be required to display fee charged on everything, from checking a bag to buying food.

Lost Luggage

Carriers will be compelled to refund baggage fees in case a passenger’s baggage is lost. Till now, the airlines were obliged only to compensate for lost or damaged goods. However, the new rule does not benefit those travellers whose baggage is delayed. It is reported that only 1% of the checked baggage is declared ‘lost’ by the airline.

Involuntary Bumping

Travellers who have valid air tickets and are involuntarily denied boarding will be entitled to much more compensation from the airlines under new regulations. Airlines will now be required to pay a compensation of four times the value of ticket up to $1,300 if they are not able to provide alternative flight to the passenger within two hours for domestic travel and four hours for international flights.

This new rule is sure to discourage airlines from overbooking flights. Not many carriers will have a heart to bump passengers if the bumping compensation is so high. This is the second significant rise in the compensation in recent years.

Airlines used to make a lot of money by overbooking flights with dollar rich travellers and then conveniently bumping passengers with cheap flight tickets. But now with new rules, it will indeed be a very tough decision for the airlines to bump passengers who have cheap tickets on flights. Travellers must also bear in mind that carriers are necessitated to pay them cash then and there. One can surely decline an airline’s offer of vouchers for future usage.

DOT’s Proposed Regulations

Department of Transportation has few more customer-centric rules in the pipeline. Such regulations will most likely come into effect from the early part of the next year.

• Passengers will be permitted to make change or to cancel reservations within 24 hours of booking without any penalty fee, as long as the booking was made at least seven days before flight departure.
  
  
• Carriers will be duty-bound to immediately inform passengers of cancellations, diversions and delays of more than 30 minutes.
  

Jetstar, Japan Airlines Form a Low-Cost Carrier

Australia’s Qantas Group and Japan Airlines (JAL) announced today the launch of a low-cost Japanese carrier, Jetstar Japan. Together with Mitsubishi Corporation, the two oneworld partners hope to make this new airline operational by the end of the next year. Each three of them will hold 1/3 share in the new airline.

Jetstar Japan will be a budget carrier that will cater to those airline passengers who look for cheap flight tickets. The airline is expected to offer flights from the Tokyo, Narita Airport and Osaka, Kansai International. Jetstar Japan is also expected to provide short haul international flights eventually. Its international operations will most likely cover key Asian cities.

Jetstar Japan will initially launch with a fleet of three Airbus A320s, with each of them configured for 180 passengers in a single class. Within first few years, the airline hopes to grow to 24 aircrafts.

Qantas Group’s Jetstar first entered Japan in 2007 and since then has become the preferred carrier of those who opt for cheap tickets on flights. Keeping the Jetstar’s low fare model in mind, Jetstar Japan promises to offer low airfares on its flights too. ‘Price Beat Guarantee’ policy may also be adopted by the Qantas and JAL’s new airline.

Qantas’ Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alan Joyce, described the airline launch as an historic step for the Qantas Group.

“The Qantas Group has a long history of serving the Japanese air travel market, with Qantas and Jetstar operating regular services between Australia and Japan,” Mr Joyce was quoted in the press release posted on the company’s website.

“Qantas and JAL have a long-standing relationship, as codeshare partners and fellow oneworld™ alliance members. We are also delighted to be joining with Mitsubishi Corporation– one of Japan’s great global brands – to launch Jetstar Japan, building on the successful expansion of the Jetstar brand across Asia.”

“The Qantas Group has a wealth of experience in establishing low cost carriers and we’re looking forward to working with our two partners on this new venture which will offer low fares to the Japanese travelling public,” Alan Joyce further added.

President of Japan Airlines, Mr. Masaru Onishi was also buoyed by the development and expressed hopes that the new airline will assist JAL to cater to wider market in Japan.

“We are confident that Jetstar Japan will broaden the spectrum of travellers as it creates new demand in this market,” observed Mr. Onishi.

“It will encourage even more movement of people within the country and also increase the number of visitors from Asia to Japan. We anticipate this to stimulate consumer spending and play a role in revitalizing the Japanese economy,” he added.

Hotels in Singapore: Cater to All Kinds of Tourists

Accommodation options available at Singapore cater to all sorts of holiday makers. The city’s diversity engulfs the hospitality industry too, making Singapore a favourite holiday destination among all – be it families, backpackers, business travellers or honeymooners!

Top Singapore Hotels

The glitter of the luxury hotels in Singapore is surely tempting and beckons travellers from different parts of the world to grab flights to Singapore. There are number of options available for tourists who are willing to spend some money on their stay in Singapore. Check some of the most popular ones!

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia is an incredible property that is regarded as one the most lavish in the city. Located very near to the Singapore Changi International Airport, Ritz-Carlton is the perfect base for travellers who would be jet setting to other Far East destinations. An oasis of serenity, Ritz-Carlton, Millenia is tempting enough to ‘force’ people into booking cheap flights to Singapore and save money to splurge in here! The hotel features more than 600 guestrooms, each of which is well-furnished.

Ritz-Carlton maintains a wonderful art gallery that features the works of the likes of Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and Dale Chihuly. The hotel additionally boasts of a world class fitness centre and a spa.

Raffles Hotel Singapore

Raffles may not be an option for those who have limited budget and look for cheap flight tickets on airlines to Singapore, but it sure is a popular tourist attraction among all! Raffles Hotel is one of Singapore's most iconic landmarks and is known for its colonial-styled architecture and magnificent tropical gardens.

Raffles Hotel Singapore maintains numerous restaurants, with some of them even acknowledged and awarded on the global level. An array of cuisine is available for those who want to pamper their taste buds with something scintillatingly delicious! Raffles Amrita Spa is yet another popular feature of the hotel.

Singapore Budget Hotels

On the other end of the spectrum are the hotels that are cheap and are much more agreeable to tourists who are on budget holidays. Combining these with cheap airfares on flights to Singapore spells great savings for budget travellers.

The Fragrance Hotel

The Fragrance Hotel is a well-known budget hotel that is located close to the Changi International Airport. The hotel is well connected with other parts of the city with various modes of public transportation available to carry holiday makers to and from the hotel. The Fragrance Hotel features 90 guest rooms for budget travellers who land up here on flights to Singapore.

Bayview Hotel Singapore

Bayview Hotel Singapore is located near Singapore's central business district and offers convenient access to city’s major tourist attractions. The hotel has 130 guest rooms, each well-equipped with a television, mini-bar and personal safe.

Ways to Grab Cheap Flights to New York

Looking for cheap flight tickets to New York? There are number of ways through which a traveller can get his hands at the coveted cheap airline tickets to New York. One just needs to be aware of the current industry trends and updates. Appropriate and relevant information makes it really easy for the travellers to book cheap flights to one of the world’s most exciting destination.

New York City is one of the most popular places all across the world and a number of keen vacationers hope to experience the glamour and glitz of this scintillating city in an affordable way. And for cheap holidays in New York it becomes imperative that you grab cheap flights to New York. Internet is perhaps the best tool that can assist you in getting your hands at cheap airfares to New York. There are number of online travel companies that are renowned to offer comparatively cheap flights to New York. So, it becomes highly crucial that you surf the Internet thoroughly and find options that suit your pockets. One can even book these tickets online!

Another way to ensure that you land up with cheap flight tickets to New York is to book as early as possible. One can easily find really cheap flights for any destination by making reservations for a journey much earlier.

If you were unable to nail the deal in advance and are forced to go for last minute deals, it still makes sense to explore all your options. Some airlines offer discounts and special offers to attract travellers. One must look out for them!

EasyJet Reveals Plans for London Southend Airport

Britain’s low cost carrier EasyJet has revealed its plans to launch 70 flights a week from the London Southend Airport from April 2012. Southend Airport will be EasyJet’s 11th base in the UK.

The airline that is popular among budget travellers for offering cheap flight tickets will begin operations with three A319 aircraft and more than 150 staff members.

EasyJet will provide flights to 10 European destinations from the airport, including popular holiday destinations like Barcelona, Berlin and Milan. The airline aims to serve nearly 800,000 passengers in its first year of operation from the Southend Airport.

With this development, the prospects of Southend becoming a significant air hub for London increases considerably. The airport will look to relieve some pressure off the capital’s overstretched airports.

Tickets for these flights will go on sale in July. Budget travellers who hope to land up with cheap flight tickets with EasyJet would do well to make reservations as early as possible.

The Stobart Group’s investment plan for London Southend will allow the airport to provide European travellers with one of the quickest routes to central London. Flight time will also be reduced and fast terminal experience will also be provided to the passengers. EasyJet will now be able to reap the benefits of these major changes at London Southend.

Catherine Lynn, easyJet’s Customer and Revenue Director, expressed her pleasure with the development.

She said, “We are excited to be opening London Southend as easyJet’s 20th base airport. The airport is in a fantastic location just outside London with a fast rail link into the city. This is a unique opportunity to offer a world class customer experience, with passengers able to get from the plane to the train in 15 minutes.

“Through offering easy and affordable travel, we expect the new routes to appeal to customers in Essex and London looking for a convenient new departure point for many top European destinations. We also believe that the European city links will also attract a high number of inbound business and leisure passengers to London next year.”

London Olympics in Sight

EasyJet’s 10 year contract with the Stobart Group’s London Southend Airport attains a special significance in the light of impending 2012 London Olympics. Heaps of foreign tourists are expected to visit the city during the world’s foremost sports competition.

Alastair Welch, London Southend Airport’s Managing Director, was quoted as stating, “We are delighted to announce our partnership with easyJet, servicing a comprehensive variety of routes into Europe and hot on the heels of other significant developments at London Southend. This summer we open a dedicated railway station with up to eight services an hour to Stratford - site of the 2012 games, and to London Liverpool Street, both in well under an hour.”

Easyjet to Operate Flights from London Southend‎

UK’s low-cost carrier easyJet will start operating from the London Southend Airport and will carry around 800,000 passengers in the first 12 months from its new base. The airline also announced its new 10-year contract with Stobart Group.

Low-cost airline easyJet announced on Thursday that it will begin operations from the London Southend Airport from April 2012. easyJet, renowned among budget travellers for providing cheap flight tickets, will open its newest hub with three A319 aircraft and more than 150 employees. The airline plans to carry around 800,000 passengers from the airport in its first year.

One of the UK’s largest carriers, easyJet will provide flights to 10 European destinations from the airport, including popular holiday spots like Barcelona, Berlin and Milan. The airline will offer 70 flights per week, which means there are plenty of seats available for travellers who prefer cheap flight tickets. Tickets for these flights will go on sale at the end of July.

London Southend Airport will be easyJet’s 11th base in the United Kingdom. It is a very well connected airport as it is located very close to a new train station that offers regular services to London. London Southend Airport will also be inaugurating its multi-million pound terminal in autumn 2011.

Catherine Lynn, easyJet’s Customer and Revenue Director, was quoted in the company’s website as stating, “We are excited to be opening London Southend as easyJet’s 20th base airport. The airport is in a fantastic location just outside London with a fast rail link into the city. This is a unique opportunity to offer a world class customer experience, with passengers able to get from the plane to the train in 15 minutes.

“Through offering easy and affordable travel, we expect the new routes to appeal to customers in Essex and London looking for a convenient new departure point for many top European destinations. We also believe that the European city links will also attract a high number of inbound business and leisure passengers to London next year,” she added.

London Southend Airport’s Ten Year Contract with easyJet

London Southend Airport, part of the Stobart Group, has agreed upon a 10 year contract with easyJet. This partnership gains more prominence in the wake of the 2012 London Olympics as huge influx of tourists are expected in the city during the world’s biggest multi-event sporting competition. This airport’s annual passenger traffic is likely to reach the figure of 1 million after easyJet starts its operations from the airport.

The Stobart Group has an investment plan for London Southend that will enable the airport to offer one of the quickest routes to central London for passengers travelling from the European continent. The airport also aims to trim down the flight time and provide a fast terminal experience to the passengers.

The airport’s agreement with easyJet now allows London Southend to demonstrate its potential to the fullest.

London Southend Airport’s Managing Director, Alastair Welch expressed his pleasure at the collaboration with the airline.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with easyJet, servicing a comprehensive variety of routes into Europe and hot on the heels of other significant developments at London Southend. This summer we open a dedicated railway station with up to eight services an hour to Stratford - site of the 2012 games, and to London Liverpool Street, both in well under an hour,” Alastair Welch was quoted as saying.

He further added, “A new state-of-the-art control tower is now operational, work on our runway extension is underway, as is a new terminal building to be completed this autumn, and a new hotel that will open in 2012.

“All this makes London Southend an ideal gateway for both business and leisure travel across Europe, and puts us right on track for our target of serving over two million passengers annually."

Emirates Launches Inaugural Flight to Geneva

Emirate’s inaugural Dubai to Geneva flight took off on 01st June from Dubai International Airport. Geneva is airline’s second gateway into Switzerland after Zurich. Dubai to Zurich was launched in 1992 and is now offered twice a day by the airline.

Emirates' Terminal 3 became the centre of activity as the launch followed a performance by a traditional Swiss dance couple. Later in the evening, a gala dinner was also organised at the Geneva's Espace Hippomene to celebrate the launch.

The flight EK 089 will leave Dubai airport every day at 0855hrs and will arrive in Geneva at 1345hrs. From Geneva, EK 090 will fly off at 1515hrs and is will arrive in Dubai at 2330hrs.

A combination of Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ERs will operate the Dubai-Geneva service. Three-class configuration will be arranged in the aircraft, in order to cater all kinds of passengers – from the lovers of luxury to the ones who would rather go for relatively cheap flight tickets.

There will be Private Suites and lie-flat seats to comfort travellers with tickets for First Class and Business Class respectively. Travellers with cheap tickets on the flights’ economy class will also be able to enjoy spacious and comfortable seating.

Each 777 aircraft of the airline that is scheduled to serve the Geneva route will have 15-20 tonnes of cargo capacity. This is enough space for plenty of luxury watches, high-end fashion goods, relief shipments, pharmaceutical products and electronics.

Tim Clark, the President of Emirates Airline, was buoyed with the development and emphasised upon the tourism and business relevance of Geneva around the world.

"This launch, in particular, has a strong international feel about it - linking Dubai, as a global aviation hub and centre for business and tourism with Geneva, a home to so many international organisations and an important financial and banking centre," Mr Clark was quoted as stating in the Emirates’ official website.

Tim Clark was hopeful of launching other connections between key global cities. "On the back of our robust financial results, the airline continues to drive forward - connecting key cities around the world," he observed.

A VIP delegation aboard the inaugural Dubai-Geneva flight included Tim Clark; Ram Menen, Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo and Salem Obaidalla, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Europe & Russian Federation.

In Geneva, the delegation was received by Richard Vaughan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations Worldwide.

The special guests included His Excellency, Wolfgang Amadeus Bruelhart, Swiss Ambassador to the UAE; Brigadier Obaid Mehayer Bin Suroor, Deputy Director of Dubai Naturalisation & Residency Department and Mr. Omar bin Ghalib, Deputy Director General of the GCAA (UAE General Civil Aviation Authority). An international media group was also the part of the travel and had representatives from regions like UAE, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Germany.