BizJets Helping Spur European Recovery, Study Finds

Business aviation is playing a key role in helping with the economic recovery in Europe, a new study finds, saying that each passenger flown on a business aviation flight generates the same gross domestic product as nine business passengers on a scheduled flight.

The European Business Aviation Association retained Oxford Economics to conduct the study to determine the value of business aviation in Europe. The study finds that contrary to popular belief, business jets and turboprops in Europe are primarily used for business purposes rather than by wealthy individuals. For that reason, the study says, business aviation takes on a different importance than other forms of aviation. But “in policy terms, however, the added value of business aviation flights is often either overlooked in favor of the much larger number of commercial flights or attributed into a broad category alongside all other various forms of general aviation.”

iPad & airlines pilots: The case of Air France & American Airlines

Air France: iPads serving the needs of flight safety

Air France is the first major European airline to equip its 4,100 pilots with an iPad digital tablet. Boeing 777- qualified pilots have been using it on a daily basis since June, and all the Company’s pilots will be equipped by summer 2013.

Interview with Sébastien VEIGNEAU, First Officer on B777 & iPad project pilot correspondent. 

What are the advantages of using this tablet?

The Flight Operations Division and the Air France IT Systems Division have been working together with Apple to personalize this tool and adapt it especially for our pilots. It will simplify access to information, notably for consulting regulatory documentation, and facilitate our communication channels within the Company.

Starting in 2013, iPad will offer training and refresher e-learning modules, i.e., aircraft system revision, self-service briefings, flight path and airfield recognition. With this tool, Air France has chosen to promote use of new technologies and is the first European airline to equip its pilots. 

Easyjet opens new bases in Toulouse and Nice

EasyJet has increased its presence in France with two new bases in the southern cities of Toulouse and Nice, in an attempt to solidify its position as France’s second largest carrier and continue its development towards becoming a pan-European airline.

Easyjet will base an A319 aircraft at each of the French airports later this month, allowing the launch of 12 new routes. This brings the total number of routes served by the carrier from French airports to 170, including eight daily services from Paris to both Toulouse and Nice.

Easyjet already has bases in Paris Orly, Charles De Gaulle and Lyon, contributing to a 12 per cent market share in France.

Business Traveller was on board the inaugural flight from London Luton to Nice on a specially painted plane with an orange map of France emblazoned with the statement ‘La France au coeur’ (France in our heart).

Airlines warn of Olympic chaos at London airports

The heads of four leading airlines have warned the British government there could be chaos at London's airports during this summer's Olympic Games, which would cause major embarrassment to the country unless a deal can be reached over their concerns.

In a blunt letter to transport chiefs, British Airways, bmi, Virgin Atlantic and Easyjet said time was running out to tackle the expected surge in air traffic and its impact.

Failure to address their concerns could bring misery to millions of regular travellers and those coming to London for the world's biggest sporting event, the airlines argue.  

"As the situation currently stands the industry believes that there is a significant risk of severe delay and disruption at all of London's major airports unless urgent action is taken," they wrote in a letter seen by Reuters on Saturday.  

"Time is running out to ensure that any changes to procedures and the appropriate training are in place prior to the Games."  Britain, already the sixth most visited country in the world, anticipates an additional 700,000 international travellers during the Olympics, which begin on July 27.  

Airberlin First Airline In Europe To Use Satellite-Based Landings

GBAS (Ground Based Augmentation System)

Following the German Federal Office for Air Traffic Control’s accreditation of the ground station for the new satellite-based approach and landing system GBAS (Ground Based Augmentation System) as a primary landing system, Airberlin will be the first airline in Europe to use satellite-based landings on regular flights at Bremen Airport.

Since 2008, the German Air Traffic Control Authority (DFS) has been working closely with Airberlin on the development of the new system. In November 2009, Airberlin was the first airline worldwide to receive approval for its Boeing 737 Next Generation fleet to use the GBAS on landings up to a visual range of only 550 meters.

The new satellite-based landing system is much more precise than the instrument- based landing system (ILS) which has been used until now.

Other advantages of GBAS landings are that noise pollution on the ground is reduced because approach angles can be varied and in the future it will be possible to use the system in mountainous areas, where it was not previously possible to land using the instrument-based landing system.

Air Berlin to join Oneworld on 20 March

Air Berlin will become a full member of Oneworld on 20 March.

In addition, Air Berlin group member Niki will join Oneworld as an affiliate member on the same date.

British Airways sponsored Air Berlin's entry into the alliance, along with the Oneworld central team. Air Berlin received approval to join the alliance after successfully completing a thorough review of its readiness, conducted by British Airways.

Air Berlin's membership will add almost 70 destinations to the alliance's map, extending Oneworld's global coverage to around 840 destinations in 150 countries, said the airline.

Lufthansa outlines €1.5 billion cost-saving scheme

Lufthansa is aiming to make cost savings of €1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) every year until 2014 through a large-scale restructuring programme which will entail the "partial dismantling and reconstruction" of the entire group.

Chief executive Christoph Franz presented the three-year efficiency improvement scheme - named SCORE (synergy, costs, organisation, revenue and execution) - to the airline's staff this week.

Apart from slashing costs and reducing overheads "across all divisions and [group] airlines", Lufthansa wants increase co-operation between its carriers to avoid duplicated effort, wrote Franz in the company's internal employee newspaper "Lufthanseat" today.

Traffic in the European "neighbourhood", including services operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Germanwings, Swiss International Air Lines, as well as regional subsidiaries and partners, will be optimised, said Franz.

The Last Malev Ad

Today’s free Metropol ‘newspaper’ – distributed in public areas across Hungary – features the last Ad by Malév Hungarian Airlines on its last page – featuring portraits of current and ex-employees. It was paid for by the employees, who chose this extraordinary way to say goodbye to the passengers. Márta Róna, communications director said: “The employees of Malév would like to thank the passengers with this symbolic last ad purchased by themselves. We keep all those lots of happy moments of 66 years spent together in hearts!” Malév ceased operations exactly one week ago, last Friday on February 3, 2012.

Exact translation:

“We Thank You!

We hereby thank all Malév passengers who chose to fly with the national airline in the last 66 years, for flying with us.

Much love,

The Employees of Malév

The last Malév ad was published from money collected by the employees of Malév with the support of this newspaper.”

Source: Airline World

easyJet to trial greener electric taxiing

UK-based bargain airline easyJet has thrown its weight behind the development of an electric taxiing system in a bid to cut its fuel consumption and enhance its environmental credibility.

The "electric green taxiing system" (EGTS) is a joint venture by engineering and aerospace conglomerates Honeywell and Safran. Safran claims that four percent of easyJet's fuel consumption is used taxiing aircraft before take off and after landing from and to gates.

Four percent may not sound much, but it's a figure that's higher than the norm for budget airlines like easyJet which typically have a high turnover of short-haul flights and so spend a proportionately higher amount of time on the ground. easyJet's planes are thought to average 20 minutes of taxiing time per flight, amounting to 3.5 million ground-miles a year over its entire fleet.

Finnair May Outsource Narrowbody Flying

Finnair plans to outsource all or part of its narrowbody flying to a new affiliate company. The airline said today that it is in talks with possible partners for a joint venture that, it hopes, would be able to operate European services at much lower costs. A partner is expected to be selected by the middle of this year, and the new airline should be flying in the first half of 2013, according to CEO Mika Vehvilainen



The Finnish carrier’s losses grew in 2011 despite a €140 million ($186 million) cost-savings program. The airline’s full-year net loss was €87.5 million, up from a loss of €23 million a year earlier. Finnair expanded capacity by almost 17% last year even though some of its important Asian routes were hit by slowing demand after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Also traffic growth started to decline in other markets in the second half. Demand was up 11.8%, but that came at the expense of a 3.1% reduction in unit revenues. Finnair’s turnover was up 11.6% at €2.25 billion.
The airline already has a joint venture for regional routes with FlyBe, FlyBe Nordic, but is not talking to the British carrier about expanding the service to narrowbody flying. Vehvilainen also ruled out Norwegian Air Shuttle and SAS, its two primary competitors in the region, as possible partners.

Source: Aviation Week

The Mystery of Air France Flight 447

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Downturn catches up with easyJet

EasyJet has suffered its first decline in passenger numbers since flights were disrupted by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud in April 2010.

EasyJet has suffered its first decline in passenger numbers since flights were disrupted by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud in April 2010.

EasyJet is braced for a difficult February, as snow disrupts air travel.

The low-cost airline said yesterday that it carried 3.73m passengers in January, a 0.4pc decline compared to the same month in 2011.

The airline has enjoyed a steady growth in passengers over the last two years but was struck by the economic downturn last month.

BA and Japan Airlines in joint move on rivals

British Airways and Japan Airlines (JAL) are manoeuvring to take on rivals Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways on routes between Europe and Japan after agreeing a joint venture.

JAL said yesterday it had applied to the Japanese government for anti-trust immunity for the link-up, which would have a market share of almost a quarter.

Just a week after Malev’s demise, many airlines have already responded with new Budapest services

What a difference a week makes: A week later, on the very day of Malév’s collapse, Ryanair said it would open a base offering a total of 31 routes. Wizz Air has also announced 10 routes – others including Lufthansa, SmartWings and Aegean have also all been quick to cherry-pick ready-made routes.

Just one week on from Malév’s collapse Budapest airport is already seeing promising signs of recovery as airlines have been quick to respond to the opportunities presented. anna.aero has compiled a handy summary table of those services that have been announced in the last seven days. There are likely to be further additions in the coming weeks.